Garbage Collector
by 22-Ti
Summary: Two women on opposite sides of public service meet unexpectedly at a club. How closely will natural magnetism pull them together? How quickly will things develop? Will the reluctances of one push away the other? Slowburn Bechloe, of course, with a smattering of Staubrey (even slower burn). Definite AU
1. Night on the Town

Chloe was so tired of sitting around the house moping, feeling sorry for herself. She knew her decision to break up with Tom was solid since their relationship wasn't going anywhere. They had been living together for about a year when she convinced Tom to buy a house out in the country. The space would allow for some peace and quiet in their tumultuous relationship, and maybe Chloe could even get a horse, or even a dog - both of which Tom was against. She had been longing for the companionship brought by an animal. Then again, perhaps she was just aching for comradeship in general.

Another motive for the move was to try to shake Tom's sister who had been living with them since Chloe moved in with Tom. God, she was annoying. Alas when they moved out to the five acres, Tom's sister invited herself and took over one of the bedrooms and the office. Tom didn't even have the nerve to forbid her from living there.

The entire situation grew old quickly, and Chloe had been questioning her feelings about the man for a while. Wait. No. She wasn't doubting her feelings. She knew exactly how she felt, and she wasn't in love with Tom. So, she finally put her foot down the best way she knew how – by ending things with the man once and for all.

While she was actively looking for a place to live back in the city, she wasn't going to stress too much, especially not this weekend. Why? Because Tom and his sister had taken a road trip to Chattanooga to spend the long weekend with their parents. Chloe had the place all to herself. Best of all, she was free to come and go as she pleased without having to explain anything to anyone.

A quick text to Aubrey got the proverbial ball rolling for a wing-woman for the night. Next step was to find the perfect outfit. Just the idea of going out as a free woman again energized Chloe from the bottom of her toes to the tip of her nose. After an hour of tossing clothes from her closet into a pile, she finally located the perfect dress in the back corners of the wardrobe.

She pulled out a blue checked dress which was tight around the bosom and loose around the hips. Paired with navy heels, she knew this outfit would be perfect. With her clothes determined, Chloe headed for a long, hot shower. The steamy spray was what she needed to relax her muscles and open her pores.

Once she was suitably dolled up with perfect makeup and immaculate hair, Chloe spun around in front of the mirror one more time to admire herself. She texted Aubrey again to let her know that she was on the way to pick her blonde friend up. As she drove to her best friend's house, an idea crept into her head.

* * *

"A gay club?" Aubrey screeched. " **I dressed up like this for you to take me to a gay club?** What's gotten into your head? Stop the car. Take me back!" Aubrey was going off the rails at her best friend. "Take. Me. Home. Now." Aubrey insisted.

A dejected redhead slowly turned the car around and pulled back into Aubrey's driveway. Aubrey turned, smiled at her friend, and patted her on the leg. "Now wait right here." Leaping out of the car, Aubrey ran back inside. Soon she reemerged with a new outfit. Now she was wearing an orange silk tank top and yellow jeans. Orange flats finished her ensemble. "Okay, now I'm comfortable. Let's go!"

Covering her mouth as she looked at the blonde who had again taken her place again in the passenger side, Chloe giggled. "I'm glad I have my wing-woman back! I thought you were abandoning me."

"I would never leave you to go out alone. Not with you being freshly single and all." Aubrey turned primly back in her seat. "This is going to be fun… No men to hit on us, no expectations, just us girls!" The pair happily chattered all the way to the club.

* * *

The beats in the club were vibrating off the walls. The best friends were both dripping with sweat from the dancing they had been enjoying. While Aubrey had been right about no men hitting on the friends, she had not expected the attention from the women. However, the interested parties were polite and respectful when rejected and left the women alone to enjoy the music. Regardless, people noticing their presence made both women feel good.

Eventually Chloe exclaimed she had to take a break. She commandeered two seats on a long padded bench which ran across the side wall of the club. Aubrey returned with a pair of drinks, and the two sat people watching and enjoying the environment.

Aubrey excitedly clasped the redhead's arm. "I'm so glad we did this Chloe. This has been a lot of fun." As was her nature, Chloe responded with a loud giggle as she sipped her drink. She, too, was having a blast. The longer they people watched, the more they drank. The more they drank, the bolder they got with their comments.

A new pair of women walked past, both brunettes with longish hair. But their similarities seemed to end there as the taller, more voluptuous woman was more dressed up with a tight red shirt which was buttoned in a way to show off her ample cleavage, not leaving much to the imagination and slim fitting white pants that hugged her shapely hips and legs. The shorter woman was clothed much more casually in an open blue and black plaid shirt over a black tank and faded jeans.

Nudging her friend, Chloe quietly whispered, "Damn, check out that hottie."

Finishing her drink, Aubrey answered, "Now those are some long ass legs. I might even consider letting her wrap them around me." Aubrey tapped her finger on her chin as though she was honestly contemplating what she had admitted.

"No, the other one."

Frowning, Aubrey looked the shorter woman up and down taking note of not only her clothing but also the thick eyeliner. "Ummm Chloe – no. I mean, look at her. She's way too alternative for you, and you are way too beautiful for that. I say make the moves on the tall one."

Chole murmured something as she loudly giggled into her now empty drink. "Refill time." Before either friend could stand, the latest pair being watched stopped. Chloe froze, just knowing that the shorter woman was staring right at her as she said something to the taller woman and motioned backwards towards Chloe.

"Hey, who's that cute thing laughing at me over there?" With a smirk plastered on her face, she started to approach Chloe who immediately panicked.

"Me?" Chloe freaked out. "Oh no, no I wasn't laughing at you. I was just… laughing."

As the dark-haired woman got closer, Chloe got a good look at her. She was actually quite stunning with her deep blue eyes lined with dark liner and eyeshadow. "I think you werelaughing at me." The woman narrowed one eye as she grinned. Her friend kept walking towards the bar. When the shorter woman sat down, Aubrey made herself scarce as well.

After a taking a deep, calming breath, Chloe got up the nerve to turn and look directly at the woman. As she realized that the woman was only teasing, she relaxed as the two fell into conversation. The woman reached over, offering her hand. "I'm Beca."

"Chloe. I'm Chloe." The handshake was brief and Chloe immediately missed the soft warmth it had temporarily provided. Chloe had no idea what to talk about with this woman who had just invited herself to sit down at the table. "So Beca, tell me, what do you do for work?"

"I'm a garbage collector." The smaller woman chuckled.

Trying not to show her shock, Chloe nodded as she took a sip of the fresh drink Aubrey had delivered before again disappearing into the crowd. "Well someone has to do it, right? We are both public servants!" Chloe's voice was chipper.

"I'm music teacher at an elementary school which has a magnet program designed for students with musical inclinations." She was quite proud of her profession and quickly forgot about her new friend's revelation about her employment as she launched into a full explanation of the program. "We develop the musical minds of students starting in kindergarten all the way through their elementary career."

Mesmerized by the high-spirited woman with fire engine red hair, Beca was content with listening to her ramble, soaking in the good energy that exuded from Chloe. Too soon, Chloe was finished talking about her job and began to ask questions about the tiny woman who rode on the back of a trash truck. Beca deflected as best she could without showing her discomfort about talking about herself. She didn't think Chloe noticed as the redhead slipped easily back into telling stories about her students and what not.

Conversation was easy between the two. Beca would nudge Chloe with a question which would be somehow be answered in a series of twists and turns, with lots of additional information tacked on which made the answer much longer and complex than it really needed to be which was amusing to the brunette. Before either realized, the club had called last call. Chloe admitted to herself that she wasn't quite ready to leave her new acquaintance's company. Besides she wasn't sure when she'd have another weekend free until she found a place to live away from Tom and his dreaded sibling.

Looking around, she found Aubrey actually visiting with the taller woman with whom Beca had been walking around the club. After a quick conversation, Chloe ordered an Uber for Aubrey to make sure she got home okay since they had ridden to the club together. Aubrey was teasing her endlessly but agreed to go home alone once Chloe promised to call her first thing in the morning.

Beca and her friend were talking, having much the same conversation when Chloe walked up. "I can make sure Beca gets home safely. I promise I'm not a mass murderer." She placed a gentle hand on the shorter woman's arm.

"Oh Beca is quite capable of taking care of herself." The taller woman's teasing smile did not falter as she punched her friend in the shoulder. "See ya pipsqueak." The tall drink of water headed for the door before suddenly stopping. Turning around, she asked, "Wait, where's your friend?"

When Chloe said the blonde was out front waiting on her ride, the woman quickly exited the building. Chloe raised her eyebrows at Beca who just shrugged. As fast as the woman left, she returned with Aubrey in tow. "So, what's the plan?" She offered out her hand towards Chloe. "By the way, I'm Stacie."

Chloe laughed as she introduced herself. Aubrey refused to look at the redhead and just stood there looking uncomfortable. "Oh relax Bree. This is Beca." Aubrey seemed frozen to her spot. "Come on, she doesn't bite."

Aubrey smiled a bit and stepped towards Beca's outstretched hand. As their palms touched, Beca leaned up and stage whispered, "Unless you want me to." A flush rose up Aubrey's face as Stacie and Chloe laughed.

* * *

The foursome ended up at a twenty-four-hour coffee and pie shop. The women ordered coffee and slices of pie to share. As they waited for their order, Aubrey stood to excuse herself to the ladies' room. "I need to wash the club grime off of my hands and face."

"Need company?" Stacie had an almost wolfish grin on her face as she got up and accompanied the blonde to the back of the café.

Left alone with the shorter brunette, Chloe found herself ogling the woman sitting across from her. The brunette's physique was admirable to say the least. Chloe had always considered herself bisexual, so her attraction to Beca didn't come as a surprise. Just enough skin peeked out from the open shirt to pique her curiosity as to what lay beneath.

The sleeves of Beca's plaid shirt were rolled a bit, and she pushed them up to her elbows for some relief in the warm café. Spying a tattoo on the woman's left wrist, Chloe grabbed her hand and pulled it across the table to examine it closer. "Oh my god Beca, you have a tattoo of headphones on your wrist. That's so… music." She looked at the brunette with a questioning look. "What gives?"

Pulling her arm back, Beca covered the tattoo with her right hand. Blushing, she ducked her head. "Nothing," she muttered.

"It's not 'nothing'. You know I have a love for all things music. I'm going to get the meaning of that out of you eventually, so you should just tell me now."

"Teenage nonsense." The tone of her response told Chloe the conversation was over. For the time being anyway. So the line of questioning was dropped.

The alcohol coupled with the late night contributed to Chloe's flirtiness. She reached over and ran her finger from Beca's shoulder down her bicep, feeling the muscles she already knew would be beneath the clothing. "So Beca, tell me about your job. Does lifting all of those trash cans help you keep this smoking body?"

Beca blushed yet again, pushed her hair behind her ears, and took a deep breath. "Chloe, I have to be honest with you. I'm not a garbage collector."

"Oh." Taken aback, Chloe wasn't sure how to take this admission of the apparent lie Beca had told.

"I do work for the city though." Beca locked eyes with Chloe and decided to open up completely about her occupation. "I'm a police officer. But honestly, I do collect garbage if you think about it." She gave the redhead sitting across from her a crooked grin.

"That's … cool."

"You don't mind that I'm a cop?" Beca questioned.

"Nope. But why did you tell me you did something different?"

"Well most people react badly when I tell them what I do. Besides I was trying to be funny. Guess I failed, huh?"

By now, Chloe's trademark smile had returned and she squeezed Beca's forearm. "No, that's okay. And I think it's great you are a police officer. It's an honorable profession." Chloe giggled. "But even as a garbage collector, you'd be smoking hot in my book!"

The other two women walked up to the booth right as their order was being delivered. "Just in time," Stacie announced as she slid into the booth beside Beca. While conversation between Beca and Chloe had been comfortable with Chloe doing most of the talking, Beca had become quiet as she let Stacie pepper the women on the other side of the booth with questions.

As night stretched into early morning, Chloe was fighting her yawns so as to not appear rude. Beca must have noticed this and came to her rescue. "Well ladies, as painful as parting such wonderful company will be, I probably need to get some sleep. Today's not my normal day off. I switched to be wing-woman for legs here and have work tomorrow." She nudged Stacie in the ribs with her elbow.

Aghast at the revelation that Beca had to work, Chloe gasped. "Beca, I am so sorry. I had no idea you had to work or I wouldn't have kept you out so late."

Beca smirked. "S'okay Chloe. I work nights, so I'm in my element. No sweat." She gave the redhead a wink.

"Well it's good that we both had excellent wing-women tonight." Chloe giggled as she glanced at Aubrey who was engrossed in a separate conversation with Stacie. "Although I'm kinda thinking they benefited, too."

As the group left the restaurant, Aubrey and Stacie wandered over to Chloe's car. Chloe was staring at the ground when she heard Beca chortling beside her. "Is that your car?" Chloe nodded. "It sure is… green." When Chloe teasingly narrowed her eyes at Beca, the brunette slipped her hand into Chloe's - effectively stopping any protest. "It's just like you – cute." Even in the dark, she could tell Chloe's face was flushed from the compliment.

Beca stopped Chloe behind a huge truck. Now it was Chloe's turn to laugh. "This? You tease me about my little green car while you drive a monster!" Beca proudly slapped the back of her Ford F-350. The truck was jet black, at least the top part of it was. The original coloring seemed to melt down the sides into a deep dark blue.

As Chloe took all of the truck in, she looked at the woman who stood before it. "Strangely enough, it suits you Beca. I'm not sure what you are trying to prove with the size, but I like it."

Beca crinkled up her eyebrow as she replied. "Prove? It proves I'm a bad ass." Beca reached into her shirt pocket to pull out her phone, unlocked it, and handed it to Chloe. "Or that too presumptuous?"

Chloe's smile was shy as she took the phone and put in her number. She then sent herself a quick text so that she'd have Beca's info. Bypassing the outstretched palm, Chloe slipped the phone back into Beca's pocket then gently tapped it.

This bold move obviously caught Beca off guard as she stood in front of the cute little spunky woman. Chloe leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "Good night Beca. Be careful taking out the trash tonight." She turned and walked towards her own vehicle.

"G' night Red." Beca watched as she got into her car and waited for Aubrey and Stacie to finish their conversation. When Stacie was headed her way, Beca climbed into her truck and started it up. As her friend was safely settled in the passenger side, the tiny brunette took advantage of the size of her truck's engine and roared up behind the bright green Prius exiting the parking lot.

* * *

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	2. Girls' Time

Aubrey and Chloe drove back to the blonde's in relative silence as they were both talked out from the long night. When Chloe pulled into Aubrey's driveway, she looked over at her friend with an exhausted look on her face. "Can I stay here Bree? I don't think I can make it all the way home."

Of course, the blonde agreed, always happy to have Chloe around even if they were both asleep. Aubrey dug around her dresser and finally located a pair of pajamas Chloe had once left a long time ago when their sleep overs had been a more frequent occurrence. _BT_ Aubrey called that time. _Before Tom_. But now was _AT_ , _After Tom_ , and despite the short time since the break-up, Aubrey knew her friend was at peace with her decision.

* * *

.

* * *

The next morning, both women woke up about the same time as each other, much like they did when they shared a room in the dorm at college. Chloe stumbled into the kitchen as Aubrey was putting on a pot of coffee. Chloe got out mugs and spoons to place next to the sugar bowl that always stayed on the kitchen bar. Opening the refrigerator, she found the container of half and half on the door as well as some fresh fruit. By the time the fruit was sliced and everything was arranged on the bar, Aubrey was pouring them each a steaming cup of coffee.

"We still work well together Bree." Despite her lack of caffeine, Chloe flashed her trademark smile at her best friend and gave her a huge hug. "I've missed you."

Aubrey dumped a few spoons of sugar and some cream into her coffee and smiled at her friend. "I've missed you, too."

After sitting in comfortable silence as they each allowed some caffeine to get into their blood stream, Chloe let out a giggle. "So… what gives?" Her teasing smile was absolutely huge.

"Hmmm?" Aubrey was seemingly day dreaming, staring out the window.

"Bree! Stacie? Spill the beans. Now."

Obviously ignoring the nature of the request, Aubrey's response was a vague, "…she's nice. Sweet."

"Uh huh. Nice. Sweet. Okay." Chloe decided to let the now not so comfortable silence push Aubrey into answering.

"Ugh. I hate you." Aubrey put a fake pout on her face.

"No you don't; you love me. And Stacie, you like her, don't you?"

"Chlo, I'm straight remember."

Chloe thought a few minutes. "Even spaghetti is straight until it's hot and wet."

Aubrey immediate spewed her coffee all over the bar and even on her friend. "Oh. My. God. Chlo! For real? Where did that come from?" Despite her protests regarding her sexuality, Aubrey had turned a very dark shade of red at her pal's comment.

All Chloe could do was snicker which turned into full blown belly laughter. Eventually she gathered her wits enough to talk again. Aubrey's strict nature was usually infallible and getting under her skin like was rare. "Well I'm glad you had a good time." Chloe then launched into a play by play of everything she and Beca had talked about.

Aubrey got a kick out of the occupation Beca had made up. "At least Stacie was up front about her job - she works with Beca. They are partners except when the city needs more cars on the street, and they have to ride solo."

Chloe raised her eyebrows, impressed. "Interesting tidbit of information. You know, come to think about it, I didn't learn a whole lot about Beca. She discovered a great deal about me though. She's really good at pulling information out of me. Hmmm I didn't even notice how smooth she was."

Aubrey smiled at her best friend. "I'm sure it's how she's wired Chloe. She's a cop. Besides… you _do_ like to talk." Chloe narrowed her eyes in jest. "Stacie and I had a great visit. And yes, I do like her. I think." Aubrey paused. "I'm not sure. I guess… I'm confused." She shrugged. "Oh well, my dad always said 'when we stop trying to control events, they fall into natural order, an order that works'. I'm just not sure me liking a woman is an order he'd agree with."

* * *

.

* * *

Chloe and Aubrey spent most of Sunday together, deciding to take advantage of the girl time they had made for themselves. They gave each other facials and manicures, just like in college. Later they settled on the couch with a bowl of popcorn between them to watch a new movie Netflix had just released. When the popcorn was finished, Chloe lay down with her head in Aubrey's lap for the remainder of the movie.

"You are so predictable Chlo." Aubrey looked down at her friend who had made herself at home in Aubrey's lap.

"Shhhh watching a movie," Chloe stage whispered.

Neither talked again until the credits rolled. "So… let's talk Beca… have you blown up her phone yet?"

Chloe shook her head. "She doesn't seem like that kind of girl. Besides she said she works nights right now, so I assume she's probably just getting out of bed."

After considering the answer, Aubrey spoke, "that's so un-Chloe of you. Text her. Come on. I know you like her."

With a little smile, Chloe pulled out her phone and thought a bit. "Honestly, yeah I do like her. But I don't want this to end up being a rebound." She was struggling with her thoughts on the matter.

"Then don't let it be a rebound." That's all Aubrey would say, letting Chloe make the decision for herself – something the redhead not been able to do the entire time she'd been with Tom. He was such an overbearing and controlling boyfriend.

* * *

.

* * *

The phone buzzing on the nightstand stirred Beca from her sleep. As she reached for her phone, she realized that a heavy weight was keeping her pinned to the bed. As the fog of a super late night out drinking and talking cleared, she realized that her best friend and work partner was half laying on top of her.

As she shoved a still sleeping Stacie off her, she realized that while she was fully clothed, Stacie was wearing nothing but her bra and panties. Beca just rolled her eyes at the lack of boundaries her roommate always displayed. Finally reaching her phone, she thumbed it open to find a text waiting for her.

 _Cute Redhead: G' morning Beca! [sun emoji] Had a GREAT time last night [lots of smiley emojis] Hope you have a super day at work [kissy face emoji]_

Beca grinned as she fell back to the bed holding her phone to her chest. "Gawd. She even makes her texts sunshiny," Beca said out loud. Hearing her roommate's voice, Stacie started to stir. Beca placed her foot in the middle of Stacie's back and pushed her off the bed. "Time to get up sleepy head."

The taller woman groaned as she struggled to wake up and pull herself off the floor. "You are _way too_ chipper this morning. Did you go back out after we got home and get laid?"

Beca chuckled. "Just get your lazy ass up. We have to go to work tonight."

After starting coffee to brewing, Beca opened her phone back up – wondering how Chloe had saved her name in her own phone. She sent a text back.

* * *

.

* * *

Chloe jumped at the unexpected buzz of an incoming text.

 _Hot Tiny Cop_ : _Morning to you little miss ray of sunshine. The pleasure was all mine last night [single smily emoji] Enjoy the rest of your evening…_

Aubrey watched her friend's face as she processed the emotions the text had brought on. She was glad that Chloe had spent the night. This was something they both had been needing for a long time. And maybe, just maybe Beca was exactly what Chloe needed.

Finally, Chloe looked up. "Aubrey… I think I need to find a place in the city. Will you help?"

* * *

.

* * *

The three-day weekend afforded Chloe a much needed break from the stress at her house. She was able to spend all day Monday in complete peace, finally enjoying the respite offered by living in the country. Before the redhead went home on Sunday, Aubrey had helped her narrow down an area of town to concentrate her search. Not too far from her school, and not too far from Aubrey. After work was over and her lessons were planned, Chloe spent her free time on Monday and Tuesday searching through Craigslist and rental sites. She was looking at all types of rentals: apartments, duplexes, and small houses.

Her optimism told her that just the right place would land in her lap. As she found possibilities, she would send the links to Aubrey because a second set of eyes was always good. Plus, it was nice to have Aubrey back to being a more important part of her life. She realized that she had neglected the friendship too much when she was with Tom. He had been jealous of any time they spent together. As a result, Chloe slowly drifted away from her best friend. She vowed to herself that wouldn't happen again

She also kept her promise to herself to not bombard Beca with her Chloe-ness by blowing up her phone. But they did exchange multiple texts each day. Since Beca's schedule was so different than hers, Beca would always message when she got off work in the mornings. And Chloe would text as she was getting ready for bed with a smattering of texts throughout the day.

The new distraction made Chloe feel different inside. Even though she and Beca had only been texting for three days, on Tuesday night, Chloe decided she needed to talk to her best friend about what she felt. Aubrey was grinning as Chloe's face popped onto her phone as she answered it. "Hey Bree. How's your week been?"

"Good. It's going good." Aubrey was nodding her head. "What's up? Wow, it's been a long time since we've FaceTimed."

Laughing Chloe said, "well I needed to talk to you and driving into the city just didn't seem to make sense right now."

"I've been loving all the places you've been sending me. I'm excited to go house hunting with you!"

The redhead's smile was bright. "So Aubrey… Beca." Aubrey shook her head, laughing herself. "What?"

"Nothing Chloe. What's going on with Beca?"

"Honestly, we've just been texting… Not a lot though." Chloe was quick to clarify that she was not smothering her new interest this early. "But I don't know. I feel… different. It's hard to explain."

Aubrey let some time pass to make sure Chloe wasn't going to add anything before she responded. "Different? Like good different?" Chloe nodded. "And you are calling me because you don't know what that means?" Chloe again nodded. "Maybe because you have broken free of Tom and you are happy? Moving forward."

"Do you really think so?" The women talked for a bit longer until Chloe's concerns about how she was feeling were alleviated.

As she ended her call with her best friend, Chloe's phone buzzed with a message.

 _Hot Tiny Cop: It's my Friday! Yay! Off to work. Sleep well. [zzz emoji]_

Chloe grinned before sending a message back. Beca was sitting in her truck patiently waiting for a quick response she knew was coming.

 _Cute Redhead: Happy Friday [party horn emoji with lots of smilie emojis] Be safe [cop car and female officer emojis]_

Satisfied, Beca cranked her truck and left for work happy as could be.

* * *

.

* * *

The next afternoon when Chloe got off work and walked out of her school, she was surprised to see Beca leaning up against her car holding a little red bucket of orange flowers with yellow tips. Beca was wearing an Atlanta PD t-shirt, jeans, baseball cap, and a pair of dark shades.

"It sure is bright this time of day," Beca joked as she held the flowers out for Chloe who accepted them as she flashed the woman a huge smile. "I thought you deserved a little more sunshine in your life. Uhhhh not that you need more sunshine or anything." Beca started stumbling over her words, obviously nervous. "I uhhh, shit. I just thought they were pretty. And they reminded me of you."

Chloe just stayed quiet until Beca stopped her rambling. "I love them Beca. Thank you for being so thoughtful." She leaned in and kissed the bumbling brunette softly on the cheek. "But what are you doing here? How did you know where I work?"

Beca slipped her badge out of her pocket. "You forget who I am?" She laughed when Chloe's eyes widened at the thought. "No silly, you told me all about your work when we met at the club. It was hard to find the school and your sexy little picture on the website."

"I've graduated from cute to sexy, eh?" Chloe teased Beca.

Not knowing exactly how to respond, Beca decided to simply nod. "I hope this isn't too stalkerish to show up like this. Texts are great and all but I wanted to see you. And it is my Saturday after all."

The realization hit Chloe that Beca was off the next two evenings. "Hang on, I'll be right back. Hold these?" She turned and rushed back into the building, leaving a confused Beca standing there holding the flowers.

She soon came out and took back her flowers. "Okay, thanks!" Chloe knew Beca was perplexed but wasn't going to let her off the hook just yet. "So, now that you've found me, what are you going to do with me?"

Beca smirked as she quipped back. "Now that's a loaded question – isn't it?" They both enjoyed a chuckle. "How about some coffee?"

Chloe dug her keys out of her purse and unlocked her car. "Sure I know a great place. Hop in."

Beca took a few steps back. "Ummm sorry, but no way I'm getting into that little thing. Plus, I have a thing about driving. Ask Stacie. Do you mind leaving your car here?"

Chloe agreed and walked over to Beca's truck which was parked in the back of the lot. Beca opened the door and waited for her to crawl in. She had to use the step and the handle to pull herself into the passenger seat. "Damn this is a big truck for such a tiny girl."

Puffing out her chest, Beca responded, "I know," as she shut Chloe's door.

* * *

.

* * *

"This place does make a good brew." The day was nice enough to allow the two women to sit outside in the sunshine. Winter was finally breaking through and letting Spring spread its wings. "Good thing I have my sunglasses though. Otherwise, my eyes would have already burned out."

They talked for a bit longer before Beca's curiosity got the best of her. "May I ask why you went back into the school earlier? Forget something?"

"I didn't forget anything. Let's just call it a last minute revelation." Chloe smiled sweetly. "I had to put in my request. The office likes for us to ask for a sub as early as possible. Then I ran by my room to make sure my lesson plans were in order."

"Sub? You ordered a sandwich?" Beca was clearly confused.

"No silly – sub as in substitute teacher." Chloe nodded. "I took tomorrow off. I decided that I could sit at work all day tomorrow jealous that you aren't working or I could just take the day off. So I did."

"Seriously? You did that?"

"Yup. Now don't get all cocky and think that makes you special or something … or that I can do every week, but yeah – I'm taking tomorrow off."

Shocked, Beca just sat there and grinned. When she finally recovered, she responded with a matter of fact tone, "I'll have you know that I can be as cocky as I want to be little miss sunshine. So, what are your plans?"

"Don't have any… yet." Chloe batted her soft blue eyes at the brunette.

"Well keep me in mind when you make some. Maybe I'll tag along." Beca suddenly got nervous. "Uhhh that is, if you want me to join you. I ummm didn't mean to invite myself."

"You are so adorable when you get flustered." Chloe reached over and patted Beca on the cheek. "Of course I want you to 'tag along'. Why do you think I took the day off silly?" The brunette sighed with obvious relief.

The two spent some more time talking. Chloe finally got the courage to share the details of her break up with Tom. She explained how she was still living at his place out in the country, in her on room, of course.

"I'm trying to move out as soon as possible. I've been searching places online the last few days. Maybe… you can go with me to do some drive bys? Check out the area some. Make sure it's safe for a cute, sexy redhead? Aubrey and I are going to look on Saturday, too. But it doesn't hurt to have my own personal police officer okay the area."

 _Her own personal police officer._ Beca felt a strange tingle in her chest with Chloe's words. She tried to not read too much into them. It'd been a long time since Beca had felt that type of feeling, and damn it was happening a bit too quickly. She realized that Chloe had stopped talking and was waiting to see if that plan might interest Beca. "Errr yeah. I'd love to do that. Community service at its best here."

"Wait Beca. I know you are a night owl. Are you going to be okay staying up all day tomorrow?"

"If it means spending the day with you, of course," Beca scoffed. "I still can't believe you took the day off." Chloe shrugged. "Hey, since neither of us have to work tomorrow, would you like to have dinner with me tonight? I'll cook. I make a pretty mean lasagna."

Of course, Chloe wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to spend more time with the woman who was filling her with all of these strange emotions. Getting out of the house, away from Tom and his awful sister was a bonus. Chloe needed to go home and Beca to the store. They agreed on a time for Chloe to arrive.

"Don't be surprised if my work partner catches wind that I'm cooking lasagna and tries to butt in on our plans." Beca laughed as Chloe narrowed her eyes trying to decide how she felt about that statement. "Relax, Stacie and I share an apartment. She won't be a nuisance, I promise. But she may come out to harass you as she gets enough food to stuff her face. She'll hide in her room or leave after she eats."

Beca drove Chloe back to the school and raced around the truck before Chloe could get out – just like she had done at the coffee shop and held out her hand to help Chloe down. Chloe held onto Beca's hand as they walked to her car. Before letting go, she wrapped Beca in her arms and gave her a long hug. It happened so fast that Beca didn't have a chance to flinch. Then when she realized what was happening, she discovered that she actually didn't want to. Chloe whispered into her ear, "I'll see you soon," kissed her cheek and pulled away. Giving the cop her cutest smile, she got into her car, leaving a stunned Beca standing there, wondering what had just happened.

* * *

.

* * *

Not wanting to show up empty handed, Chloe stopped by Central Market. She knew the perfect wine to pair with lasagna, but she wasn't sure if Beca was a wine kind of girl. This store has an amazing specialty beer collection. The worker suggested several porters, stouts, and barleywines and went into a full explanation of the reasons.

Before her eyes began to glaze over, Chloe batted her soft blue eyes and asked him to select what he felt was best. He suggested two bottles each of Fuller's London Porter, Smuttynose Robust Porter, and Founders Porter so that they could have a selection and decide their personal preference. The redhead couldn't have been more appreciative and made a note that she needed to study up on her beers.

Despite Beca telling her to not be wary about where she lived, Chloe felt anxious as she was driving through the neighborhood to the complex. She lucked out to find a parking place next to Beca's black and blue monster truck. Gathering the alcohol, she scurried to the front door and quickly knocked. The door quickly swung open to reveal Beca standing there with a broad smile on her face.

She quickly took the bag out of Chloe's hands. "Come in, come in. You didn't have to bring anything but thank you."

"You bring me flowers. I bring you alcohol." Chloe found herself surprisingly nervous around the brunette. "Smells good in here."

A door opened behind her and Stacie spoke. "Beca's lasagna is the bomb. Hi Chloe."

The redhead turned and gave Stacie a little wave and a smile. "Hi."

"What's this?" Stacie pulled the wine and six-pack of beer from the bag. "Damn bud, you need to keep this girl. She knows the way right to my heart." Looking over to Chloe, she pulled out a beer and asked, "May I?"

Chloe nodded. "Sure. Got a corkscrew?" Beca was making a salad and putting final touches on the food, so Stacie opened the wine bottle for Chloe and poured her a glass.

"Beer or wine Beca?" Stacie draped her arms over her roommate's shoulder with a cold beer in each hand. Beca grunted a thanks and twisted open her beer.

"Damn that's going to go good with dinner. Thanks." Beca licked the froth off her lips appreciatively.

"I figured you as a beer kind of girl."

"Trying new things is something I'm willing to do though." Beca winked at Chloe who was trying to not melt at the adorable woman in front of her. "Stacie, make yourself useful and set the table?"

Noticing that Stacie only set two places at the table, Chloe called her out. "Aren't you eating Stacie?"

"Oh yeah but I'm not going to horn in on your plans. I'll eat in my room… and then I'm outta here."

After a bit of casual conversation between everyone, Beca announced. "Soup's on ladies." Stacie scooped out what she wanted, grabbed two more beers and made her way out of the kitchen. Beca put the rest of the food on the table then pulled Chloe's chair out for her.

She watched Chloe's eyes roll back in her head after she took her first bite. "My goodness Beca. This is amazing." The pair spent the rest of the meal in light conversation as they simply enjoyed each other's company.

* * *

 **Note: I'm always open to comments, reviews, and PMs.**

 **Enjoy**


	3. Not So Lonely Night

Beca refused to let Chloe help clear the table and banished her to couch with a full glass of wine. As the redhead complained about not being allowed to be a helpful guest, the brunette scoffed. "I'm not doing all of this tonight. I'm only putting the left overs in the fridge, and Stacie will get the rest tomorrow. It's a sweet deal – I cook, she cleans."

After the food was put up and the dishes stacked in the sink, Beca took her seat next to Chloe. The redhead immediately cuddled up next to the police officer who was again surprised to realize that she was not uncomfortable with the lack of personal space. Normally she avoided such close contact with anyone as she was protective of her privacy, and to her – personal space was privacy.

"Dinner was absolutely delicious Beca. Thank you so much for inviting me here."

"I'm glad you enjoyed the meal. I have a few more specialties up my sleeve," she chuckled as she waggled her eyebrows at Chloe. "We'll have to do this again."

"Definitely." Chloe shifted so that she could lay her head on Beca's shoulder. "Mmmm comfy."

After enjoying some silence, Beca spoke. "Okay cute stuff, what's the plan for tomorrow?"

They agreed on getting an early start so they could enjoy a caffeine hit and quick bite to eat at the coffee shop by Chloe's school, the one with the amazing coffee. "It's too far for me to drive all the way home and back. So I brought a bag so I could stay at Aubrey's."

An idea popped into Beca's head as she pulled the redhead into her side a little more closely. "I know this may sound a little self-serving, but you are more than welcome to stay here. My bed is decent, and I can take the couch. Then we don't have to worry about meeting up some place." Beca didn't mention that she had hurriedly changed the sheets and cleaned her bathroom, just in case.

"Ahhh Ms. Mitchell. Aren't you the sly one?" Beca jumped as Chloe playfully stuck a finger into Beca's side. The redhead wasn't going to admit that she's tickled that she'd garnered an overnight invitation. Of course, she wasn't ready to move forward with anyone right now, but she really liked Beca and felt the need to keep her close. "I'll go get my bag and send a quick message to Aubrey to let her know that I'm not coming."

"Let me walk you out to that little green car of yours." Beca was quickly on her feet. "I'm sure you noticed this isn't the nicest of neighborhoods." She opened the door for the redhead and they headed to Chloe's car. "This complex is in my precinct, and I work night shift. In exchange for several drive throughs a night in our patrol cars, Stacie and I score the apartment rent free. It's a pretty awesome deal, and the visibility is good for the complex; we like to think it makes the residents safer."

"Yeah, but aren't you scared to live in such a rough area?" The worry was evident in Chloe's voice.

"Naw... I work in this area Chloe. It's my job." Beca laughed. "Plus, we've established – I'm a bad ass." This elicited a chuckle from Chloe. The redhead's bag was quickly retrieved, and the pair was safely back in Beca's apartment.

When they walked back in, Chloe tossed a separate plastic bag on the couch. Beca raised an eyebrow to look at the redhead who just responded with a giggle. "I bought you something. I mean, don't expect much, but it was just screaming your name. It's not even wrapped."

Beca pulled the contents out of the bag and began laughing. Chloe had bought her a toy garbage truck. Chloe was giggling as she explained the features of the toy. "See, it has its own dumpster." She started pressing buttons. "It lights up, has sound, the works. With _this_ , you'll really be sweeping the streets clean."

When the brunette could catch her breath again from laughing, she thanked the redhead. "This toy is going to be quite the conversation piece. You are da bomb."

* * *

The evening was running into the night when Chloe announced she was going to get ready for bed so they could make the most of the next day. Beca showed her the en suite in her bedroom. While Chloe was in the bathroom, Beca changed into her favorite ratty but soft t-shirt and a pair of cut off sweatpants. She pulled her hair into a messy bun and went to get some covers for the couch.

When Chloe walked out of the bathroom in an adorable set of yellow pajamas with baby ducks, Beca's heart about stopped in her chest. There had to be a law against how much the redhead was affecting her, especially when Chloe walked right up and wrapped her arms around the brunette. Beca gently put her hands around the other woman's waist and returned the hug.

Backing away a slight bit, she turned her head so she could see Chloe's face. She was overcome with an incredible urge to kiss the redhead standing so close and before she realized what was happening, was moving her face closer to Chloe's mouth. As their lips were about to touch, Chloe ducked her head to her chest, subtly avoiding the kiss. A slight pained look crossed Beca's face before she could wipe the emotion from it.

Seeing the brief disappointment on Beca's face, Chloe hugged she shorter woman back into her a little tighter. She then pushed back and placed a hand on each side on Beca's face. She pressed her forehead against the brunette's when she spoke. Her tone was sweet and voice soft. "I like you Beca. I really do. But this is… well fast. Plus, I don't feel right moving forward while I'm still living with my ex."

"Understood," the tiny cop whispered as she accepted Chloe's decision. She leaned in to press her lips on Chloe's soft cheek then whispered into her ear. "Then we'd better find you a place to live soon." She turned Chloe around and guided her to the bed. "Let's get you tucked in ladybug." She pulled back the covers to let Chloe crawl in so she could cover her up.

Chloe seemed pleased at the new nickname. "Ladybug, hmmm?"

Beca laughed softy as she sat on the edge of the bed and pushed up the redhead's pajama sleeve a bit to tap the small tattoo of the small insect on Chloe's inner wrist. "It suits you – cute." She sat on the edge of the bed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Chloe's ear. "It is said finding a ladybug is very good luck. I'm inclined to believe that about right now. Beca then turned over her right forearm to reveal a second tattoo. "Grasshopper. Maybe we are more alike than either of us realize."

Chloe wondered the meaning behind this tattoo but after the reaction she had gotten after she enquired about the headphones ink, she didn't ask. Perhaps Beca would tell her in her own time.

After a bit more conversation, Beca stood to head to her temporary sleeping spot in the living room. "G' night bug. Sleep well." As she turned to leave, Chloe reached up and grasped her hand.

"Beca?" The tiny cop turned and looked at the woman lying in her bed. Chloe pulled back the covers and patted the space next to her. "Lay with me a little while? I feel bad for taking your bed."

"It's okay, I promise. I've slept on that lumpy old couch lots." Beca's grin was crooked as she admitted to herself that she was tempted. All it took was for Chloe to bat her eyes and slightly bite her lower lip as she again patted the mattress beside her for Beca to relent. She slid under the covers. "Just for a little bit. I want to respect your space."

"I know, and I appreciate that." Somehow Chloe managed to wrap herself completely around the brunette and snuggle in close. Beca allowed herself to somewhat relax as she pulled Chloe into her.

* * *

Next thing Beca realized, her eyes were opening to light creeping around the edges of the blackout curtains she used so she could sleep more easily in the daytime. She also noticed that she was in her own bed with a very sexy redhead touching every bit of Beca possible.

 _I can't believe I slept all night next to someone so precious._ Beca's thoughts were running rampant, thoughts she definitely shouldn't be having. She tried to decide how best to pry Chloe's arms away so she could crawl out of the bed without waking up the snuggle bug. Then Beca got caught up watching the redhead sleep and pressed her lips against Chloe's temple.

The movement caused Chloe to stir slightly. Beca took advantage of this and started to make her way out of the weave of arms and legs. Chloe started moving around more and emitting what could only be described as a soft mewing noise. This woman was even adorable as she was waking up, so Beca stayed with her eyes glued on her bedmate.

Soon Chloe stirred enough and began to open her eyes. When she realized Beca was still encased in her arms and legs, she gave a soft smile. "You stayed."

* * *

After breakfast, the redhead and the brunette drove around scouting several apartment complexes and a handful of houses. Some were immediately crossed off the list by the police officer due to safety and others by the teacher due the lack of aesthetics. Chloe felt that she had a good handle on the ones she wanted to take a closer look at with Aubrey on Saturday.

When a gurgling sound erupted from the driver's side of the truck, Beca's eyes widened as she slapped her hand on her stomach. "Oops, you weren't supposed to hear that." Her face reddened in embarrassment.

"I guess it _is_ kinda late," Chloe laughed. "There is one more house right around the corner. After that, I will treat you to lunch at my favorite little burger joint. How's that sound?" When Beca agreed, the redhead punched the last address into her phone and began to navigate.

As the blue and black truck pulled up to the cottage, a high-pitched squeal came from the passenger side of the vehicle. Before Beca knew it, Chloe was out of the truck and standing at the chain link gate of the fence that went around the house. The brunette made her way around to stand beside her.

"Oh Beca, this is it. This is the one I want." Beca tried reasoning with Chloe that she hadn't even seen the inside of the house and to not get her hopes up just yet. She was quickly understanding Chloe's exuberant nature as well as her lack of reasoning when her mind was set on something. "But it's so … perfect. She read from the listing. It's has two bedrooms, two baths and an office. The porch wraps all the way around the house. I want it. Oh yes I do."

Beca reached for the redhead's hands and pulled her around to face her. She couldn't help but to smile at the brightness in Chloe's eyes. "I thought you wanted Aubrey to help you decide. Aren't you two going to look on Saturday? This was supposed to be a day just to scout... you with your own personal police officer and all." Beca was smirking.

"I don't care. I know what I want when I see it Becs." Chloe winked at Beca before throwing her arms around the smaller girl. "I'm calling the realtor." After a short conversation with the agent, they had an appointment to see the inside of the house in ninety minutes. "That's settled. Now let's go get some food for your talking tum tum." Chloe gave Beca's stomach a few taps and trotted back to the truck with Beca following close behind.

* * *

During lunch, Chloe was thinking about how quickly she had become comfortable in Beca's presence. She knew that she was always considered the "friendly one" but something about the cop made Chloe relax even more and completely open up. She also realized that Beca was darned good at deflecting questions and avoiding divulging personal information.

"You can talk to me you know." Chloe finally decided to take a direct approach.

Beca's eyes widened as she blinked in surprise. "Ummm I _have_ been talking."

"You think I haven't been paying attention to what you've been doing – but I have. Whenever I ask you a question about _you,_ you somehow avoid answering and turn it into a question for me. Now I love talking, but I want to know about you." Chloe reached across the table and placed her hand on top of Beca's. "You are important, too."

Beca had a habit of ducking her head down and avoiding eye contact when she felt uncomfortable. She didn't want Chloe to feel like she was avoiding her questions. That was alienating at best. The shorter woman tried explaining as well as she could. "That's just who I am Chlo. Don't take it personally. Ask Stacie." Beca looked up at the woman across from her with pleading eyes. "Give me some time?"

"Okay Becs." Chloe squeezed her hand. "Only because you are so darned adorable." This made Beca grin and of course, blush a little.

"So – Aubrey." Beca switched the subject. "How about you tell me about your friend? That's a change, right?" Beca turned her palm over and laced her fingers with Chloe's.

"Aubrey? Where did _that_ come from?" Chloe narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me, you are into tall blondes and not redheads who are closer to your size. I see how it is." She crossed her arms with a teasing look on her face.

"N-n-no. Ugh. That's not it. Errr," Beca was stuttering and stumbling around her words. Chloe just giggled and watched Beca get flustered as she tried to back her way out. "It's just that, well, I guess I do have an interest in her. Well my roommate does anyway, and what impacts Stace involves me."

"Stacie? Stacie likes Aubrey?" Beca nodded. "Interesting. Well Aubrey is my best friend, but I'm sure you already figured that out. She's pretty uptight but she can be a lot of fun once she lets her hair down."

"Tell me, does Stacie have a chance? Or should she back away now?"

Chloe considered her answer carefully. "Stacie has a chance. But only if she goes incredibly slow. I mean, snail speed slow." Beca nodded her understanding.

* * *

When it was time to head back to the little cottage that had garnered so much attention from Chloe, so much energy was rolling off the redhead that Beca could feel the electricity in the truck. A man in a suit was standing in front of the open front door when they pulled up. Chloe again squealed as she leapt from the truck.

The inside of the house was as perfect as the outside. Hardwoods ran throughout all the rooms, the walls were freshly painted, and the appliances were in excellent shape. The rent was a bit higher than the range Chloe had originally been looking but not enough to dissuade her from wanting the place.

The agent had brought the application paperwork which Chloe filled out on the spot along with providing a deposit check to hold the house. He promised to put a rush on the necessary checks and agreed to let her know the next day if she could have the place. "Ms. Beale, if everything goes your way, I can meet you here tomorrow afternoon or Saturday to sign the lease and give you the keys. I assume by your excitement that you are wanting to move in as soon as possible?" Chloe assured him she was.

Before leaving, Chloe went around each room of the house again to take pictures. She felt a little bad about deciding without Bree and wanted to be able to show her what she found but the pictures would help. Eventually Beca was able to drag her out of the house so the realtor could lock up and get back to his office to process her paperwork.

* * *

"What did you think of my new house? You like it?" Chloe was stretched out on Beca's couch with her head in the brunette's lap.

"Of course. You know I would have said something if I didn't think it was right for you." Beca dropped her hand from the back of the couch to rest atop of Chloe's shoulder. "Not that you would have listened," Beca teased. "Your mind was pretty made up the moment we drove up."

"Like I said, when I see something I want…" Chloe left the statement unfinished. "Thanks for going with me today Beca. I appreciate it."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you for taking the day off and letting me spend it with you. That means a lot." Beca smiled down at the woman in her lap. Surprisingly enough, the closeness felt comfortable.

"As much as I don't want to, I probably need to go soon. I texted Aubrey earlier and she wants to see the pictures of the new place."

Despite spending the previous twenty-four hours together, Chloe was finding it difficult to leave Beca's company. Eventually she forced herself to get off the couch and gather her things. Beca again walked her to the car. By this time, the brunette was expecting the bone crushing hug she knew she was going to get, was able to relax into it, and hug the woman back. She gave Chloe a kiss on the cheek and stood in the parking lot until she made it out of the complex.

When Beca walked back into the apartment, she was startled to find Stacie standing in the kitchen. "Hey there Romeo." Stacie had popped open two beers and handed one to Beca. "Spill the beans. What have _you_ been up to since lasagna night? And what the fuck is with the toy garbage truck?"

Beca just shook her head and grinned. "This woman… is going to be the death of me."


	4. The Big Move

The next morning at work, Chloe kept moving her bucket of flowers around on her desk trying to find the perfect placement. Her thoughts were flitting all over the place – about Beca, about moving, about everything, and she was having quite a difficult time concentrating on what she was going to teach that day. Fortunately, when the students started coming in, she was finally able to calm herself and get back into her normal daily rhythm.

During lunch, the call came from the relator that her application had been approved. Chloe immediately arranged to meet him at the house after school to sign the lease and pick up the keys. She then spent her conference period on the phone with the utility companies arranging to transfer services into her name. Now that she knew for sure, her excitement level was through the roof.

While it was too early to text Beca, she had no qualms about giving her best friend a call.

"Aubrey Posen."

Chloe's voice was shrill and full of enthusiasm. "Bree, I got the place. I got it! I pick up the keys this afternoon." Aubrey agreed to come over after she got off work to see the house in person. "I knew I'd get it. This was meant to be. I actually brought some boxes in my car that I can unload. Tom caught me packing and is so pissed. Anyway, I know you are at work. I can't wait to see you." Chloe's blustery rambling always amused her friend. She was indeed tickled with the new house.

By the time the blonde showed up at the house, Chloe had taken in the things she had brought from her old house and was unpacking dishes in the kitchen. Aubrey got a tour of the otherwise empty place and immediately fell in love. "It suits you Chloe. Honestly. I see why you wanted to jump on it before it got rented out." She could tell the level of Chloe's excitement and how relieved she was to be starting a new chapter in her life.

"How much do you love me Bree?" Chloe wrapped her arms around her friend's waist. Bree looked down at her friend knowing what request was coming. "Will you help me move this weekend? I've already hired movers for Sunday but that means I have to be packed up by Saturday. Plus, I think having a buffer with Tom would be wise. You should have seen his face when he saw me carrying boxes to my car this morning. He is still convinced I'm not leaving him." Chloe's rambling showed just how nervous she was about this new venture she was starting in her life.

"Well this will show him that the Chloe ship has sailed. And of course I'll help you silly. What are best friends for?" The pair finished with the few things Chloe already brought and Chloe stashed the empty boxes in her car.

Later that night Chloe finally gave in and texted Beca not caring if it was too early.

Beca grinned as she heard her phone buzz on the night stand. She'd been waiting for a message from the redhead and knew she must have been jonesing to let her know about the house.

 _Cute Redhead:G'morning! [sunshine emoji] I GOT THE [house emoji]! [lots of smiley emojis]_

The response was immediate.

 _Hot Tiny Cop: Congrats! I never doubted it [smile emoji]_

 _Hot Tiny Cop: Is it too soon to say I missed you today [upside down smiley face emoji] I enjoyed our day together yesterday._

Chloe's eyes widened at the words she read. She felt her heart flutter at the sentiment expressed.

 _Cute Redhead: Soon Beca, soon! Be careful tonight_

 _Hot Tiny Cop: Roger that. Stacie says hi to Aubrey. Night_

Chloe giggled as she locked her phone. Aubrey looked at her questioningly. "Stacie says hi." Her friend didn't say anything, just turned her back so Chloe couldn't see her blush and the small grin that crept up her face.

* * *

On Saturday, the two best friends worked quickly and were able to pack up all of Chloe's belongings well in time for the early arrival of the moving truck on Sunday morning. She left most of the furniture because it reminded her of Tom and worse, of his annoying sister. She had her bedroom set, a futon from college, and the breakfast table and chairs. Everything else would just have to be replaced.

By early afternoon, all of Chloe's belongings had safely been moved into her new house with boxes stacked in each room. She and Aubrey were sitting at the table as Chloe made lists of things that she needed to get – from household items to furniture. Some things she could get immediately while others would have to wait.

While Chloe was writing and randomly chattering, Aubrey was typing on her phone. "Earth to Aubrey. Hello, have you heard anything I said?"

"Ummm sorry Chlo, I spaced out there for a bit." Aubrey looked guilty for not listening to her friend.

"I'm starving. Do you want to go grab a bite or order delivery?"

"Oh. Errrr… that's what I was doing. I got this." Aubrey quickly got up and went to unpack some more boxes. Chloe thought her friend was acting strange but soon forgot about it.

About half an hour later, a metallic knock rapped on the front door. "Delivery for Posen," the voice called out. Aubrey rushed to answer the door and told the person to put the food on the table.

"Chloe, the food is here," she called out.

When Chloe entered the kitchen, she screamed as she jumped back a bit. In her house stood two Atlanta police officers in full gear, gun belts included. It took her a few moments to register that Stacie and Beca were standing there with take-out Chinese in their hands. She squealed and launched herself at Beca, wrapped her arms around for a hug.

"Oooh, you aren't quite as snuggly, smooshy with all this gear on." She rapped her knuckles on Beca's chest. "Is this your vest?" Beca laughed and nodded. Chloe made like she was feeling up the cop's chest – all around her vest – until she got to her shoulders. "Whew, there's still some flesh."

Both cops unbuckled their gun belts and gently placed them on the kitchen counter. Stacie started unloading the bags of Chinese food and yelled out, "Posen, the food you ordered is here. Where are you?"

The tall blonde made her way into the kitchen, stopping immediately at Stacie's gun belt. Respectfully, she did not touch the service weapon, just looked. When she stood, she announced. "SIG Sauer P220. Nice."

Stacie raised her eyebrows in shock. She snapped the keeper off her weapon and removed it from the holster. Ejecting the magazine, she cleared the chamber. Once she was sure the gun was on safety, she handed her service weapon to Aubrey while she reloaded the loose round into the magazine and began to spin it around in her hands.

Aubrey expertly examined the gun, testing the slide and hefting its weight in her hands. "My dad is a weapons expert in the military. I was raised around guns and taught to respect their power. Maybe we can go shooting some day?" She handed Stacie's weapon back to the shocked police officer.

'You are definitely full of surprises Posen." Aubrey returned this announcement with a blinding smile.

* * *

As all four women were seated around the small table eating the take-out that the cops had brought, Chloe and Aubrey were entertaining the officers with their college stories. "We were in an acapella group at Barden University." Beca and Stacie looked at each other.

Trying to keep her mirth from escaping, Beca dug into her box of food. "Acapella. Oh right, that was a thing back then."

Chloe gave her a fake shocked look as she swatted Beca's arm. Reverting to her college days, she responded, "Totes. We sang covers of songs but did it without any instruments. It all came from our mouths!"

"Yikes." Beca reacted jokingly. The women got a good kick out of the singing stories that Aubrey and Chloe shared.

"I know! Next time we have an evening out, let's go to a karaoke bar. I haven't sung with adults in so long." Chloe's excitement exuded from her very being.

After giving Stacie a warning look, Beca immediately began shaking her head. "Sorry, I'm not really a singer." When Chloe's smile dropped, Beca stumbled to try to correct the situation. "I don't mind going with you guys though." She looked at the redhead hopefully hoping that she had recovered enough.

Stacie did her share of talking, too. Her police work stories captivated both Chloe and Aubrey. While dragging details out of Beca was painful at best, Stacie seemed willing to cough up some great ones.

Despite being best friends, work partners and roommates, the two women couldn't be more different. Stacie was bold, out-going, and didn't have much of a filter. While Beca was extremely confident and funny, she didn't always like to talk about her job. She was pretty closed off about her life in general.

"Has Beca told you why she won't let me drive the patrol car anymore?" Chloe shook her head. "One night, a call about a dog attack came in on the radio. I was driving, and we were close so we took the call. She made me stop at a burger joint for some strange reason, so I raced through the drive-through."

"She went through the wrong way, I might add." Beca chimed in.

"I didn't know what you wanted. I figured you needed to talk to the server. Hush, this is my story. Beca ordered four burgers and fries, fries in a separate bag, and a root beer." By this time Aubrey was laughing so hard at the memory that tears were squeezing out the corner of her eyes.

"We got to the house. Beca grabbed the bag with the burgers. She opened the front door to the house. There were these two Dobermans apparently trying to chew this man's leg off. Beca gave a loud wolf whistle to get their attention and threw the burgers as hard as she could into another room. We then raced in to grab the man. It turns out that he wasn't even the home-owner. He was a burglar who called 9-1-1 when he couldn't get the dogs off of him."

"So no Stacie, you can't drive the car anymore. Plus, the sergeant banned us from that burger place." Beca was shaking her head at her roommate's stories although that was indeed one of her favorites. "Well ladies, as entertaining as this has been, it's time for me and Stacie to get to work."

After donning her gun belt, Beca allowed herself to get hugged again by Chloe. She had already learned that resistance was futile. Stacie simply put her hand on Aubrey's shoulder as she said goodbye.

"Text me later Red?" The brunette flashed a small smile towards the redhead who nodded.

* * *

 _Cute Redhead: Thanks for dinner tonight [chopsticks emojis]. What an unexpected surprise to see you [insert multiple smiley emojis]_

 _Hot Tiny Cop: That was all legs and the blonde. I just got the benefit. [winky smiley emoji] Looks like you are settling in to your house quickly_

 _Cute Redhead: YES! I love it. Tonight's my first night here. It will be lonely. [frown emoji]_

Beca's heart skipped a beat. What hold did this woman have over her?

 _Hot Tiny Cop: But it's worth it, right?_

 _Cute Redhead: So true! I'm headed to bed. Thanks again for coming by. Be safe [policewoman emoji]_

 _Hot Tiny Cop: Always. G'night_

Beca locked her phone and slipped it into the breast pocket of her uniform. Stacie reached over and slugged her in the arm. "Ow! What was that for?" Her roommate just laughed.

Back at the house, as Chloe closed out her text conversation, she sighed deeply and looked at her best friend. The blonde scooted closer to her friend on the couch. "You really like her, don't you Chlo?"

The redhead nodded. "What do you think Bree? Am I rushing things?"

Aubrey took a deep breath before she spoke. "Let me tell you what I see. For the most of last year, you were miserable with Tom. He treated you like shit, and I couldn't say anything because he was who you chose to love. But from what I can tell, Beca is good people. I mean, you've known her, what, a week and that's enough to get you to move into the city? That alone lets me know you are headed in the right direction. Besides I'm certainly glad I have my best friend back closer to me."

Chloe wrapped her arms around the blonde and snuggled in next to her. "Me, too, Bree. I promise that no matter what happens with Beca or anyone else, I will never neglect our friendship again." Aubrey pressed a kiss into the top of Chloe's head. "So inquiring minds want to know… what's up with you and Stacie?"

* * *

A huge weight she hadn't realized she was carrying had been lifted from Chloe's shoulders after she moved into her own space. Even her students noticed how chipper she was that next week. Early Wednesday morning, Beca had shown up at her house with coffee and breakfast treats along with another set of flowers for her new house. That afternoon as Chloe was walking to her car, her phone buzzed.

 _Hot Tiny Cop: Plans for tonight?_

 _Cute Redhead: Unpacking. Ugh [frownie emoji]_

 _Hot Tiny Cop: Want company? [devil emoji]_

 _Cute Redhead: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes [lots of smiley emojis] Pizza's on me_

 _Hot Tiny Cop: See you in an hour_

Chloe did the best she could to clear the most of the moving clutter to the corners of the rooms of her house. Her breath caught when she heard the doorbell ring. She flung open the door to find the tiny cop standing there grinning at her. This time, Chloe gently wrapped her arms around Beca for a much calmer hug which the brunette gladly returned.

Beca pushed back slightly so she could see Chloe. "Hi." Her voice was soft and kind.

"Hi back." Chloe pulled her into the house and shut the door.

Beca pulled her hand from behind her back and offered Chloe a small box. "I got you something. It's not much, but well… it suits you."

The redhead excitedly unwrapped the box and gently opened the lid. As she saw what lay nestled against the cotton, her smile spread from ear to ear. She took out the ceramic ladybug and walked over to put it on the mantle of the fireplace. She then took the matching grasshopper and sat it next to the other insect. "They are so cute Becs. Just like you. Thanks!"

"No problem." Beca had her hands shoved in her pockets and she looked around the house. "I figured you might want some help unpacking."

A look of relief crossed Chloe's face. "Absolutely! I didn't realize how much stuff I had until I tried to find places for it all. What sucks is that I don't have a lot of furniture either. Nowhere to put a lot of things."

"Hey, I know this great flea market that's open on weekends. How about we go shopping Saturday before my shift? Not that I would _ever_ voluntarily go shopping, but for you – I'll make an exception." This admission caused a flush to rise on Beca's face. "And ummm, I seem to have this big truck that has been begging to carry things for this certain cute little redhead. She says it's her mission in life."

Before the pair could agree on a plan, a worried look crossed Chloe's face. "Beca, you can't keep staying out during the day. You need to be well rested for work." She grasped Beca's hand.

Beca moved her other hand to Chloe's face and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Let me worry about me Chlo. I have gotten used to this crazy work cycle of shift work. Besides I have tons of comp time saved up."

"Comp time? What's that?"

"Sometimes the city doesn't like to pay overtime when we are short bodies on the street. So instead we get comp time – like extra vacation days. Typically, we collect more than we can ever use. But as long as we get people to cover our shift, our sergeant is pretty cool about letting us off when we want. But the sleep… don't sweat it."

The women worked hard and made a great deal of progress. After a few hours of work, what could be unpacked without extra furniture was taken care of. Chloe grabbed two beers from the refrigerator and settled on the couch next to Beca.

"So Chloe Beale, you sure weren't stretching the truth when you said once you make up your mind, you move quickly."

The woman next to her giggled as she drank her beer. "That's not exactly what I said Becs." The shorter girl looked confused. "I believe what I said was "When I see something I want…" The redhead didn't finish her statement. Beca about choked on her beer as she turned beet red. With that, Chloe bounced up to retrieve her phone off the table. "Pizza?" Beca didn't trust herself to speak and just nodded.

* * *

After finishing off a couple of pizza's, they just hung out watching some random episodes of various shows on Netflix. Beca was enjoying the redhead curled tightly up to her side. Being able to have her arm wrapped around someone was strangely comforting. Beca looked down and realized that Chloe was struggling to keep her eyes open. She kissed the top of her head. "Babe, I'm going to go so you can get some sleep. You have to work in the morning."

A disgruntled noise came from Chloe's throat. "No."

"No?" Chloe was so adorable when she was fighting exhaustion.

"No go Becs. Stay with me?" Chloe managed to open her eye a bit. "Please? Tonight was too nice to go to bed lonely."

Beca stood and pulled Chloe to her feet to guide her to her room to get ready for bed. "I'll be right back. I need to see what I have in my truck."

"S'okay. I have a new toothbrush you can use… and sleep clothes." Chloe burrowed around in her drawers and tossed a Barden t-shirt and a pair of sweats on the bed. She dug out her own pajamas and retreated to the bathroom.

Beca went back to the living room to clean up the pizza trash. She double checked the locks on the doors and turned out the lights. By the time she made it back into the bedroom, Chloe was curled up under the covers in her bed. Beca quickly brushed her teeth, shed her clothes and threw on what Chloe had laid out of her. She eased into the bed so as to not wake the redhead.

The redhead immediately wrapped her body around Beca happily cooing into the crook of her neck. "Comfy …" She reached up and softly kissed Beca's neck. "I'm glad you stayed Becs. G'night."

Shivers ran down Beca's spin and goosebumps raised on her arms. Beca could feel her growing attraction for the woman who had left no space between their bodies. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her promise to respect Chloe's wishes. It was everything she could do to keep her hands just where they were.


	5. Titanium

The students at school had been particularly wild and rambunctious that day. Chloe's colleagues blamed their behavior on the full moon while Chloe was firmly in the Friday the 13th camp. Whatever the reason for the craziness in the halls of the elementary campus, she was exhausted and her mind was totally wiped. Moving the weekend before and unpacking all week had really zapped her energy. All she wanted was to get home and take a nice hot shower so she could have a relaxing start to the weekend.

Once she arrived at the cottage, Chloe was in a zone all her own as she quickly undressed and went to run the water in her shower so it could get hot. That was when she heard a faint noise coming from the vicinity of the second bathroom… was it singing? She turned off the shower and went to investigate. A quick peek in the door showed no lights on which was weird, but someone was definitely singing. Despite being naked, Chloe peeked out the front window and saw the large blue and black truck parked at her curb that she had somehow missed when she came home due to her tiredness. Grinning, Chloe crept back to the guest bathroom and listened.

 _I'm bulletproof/nothing to lose/fire away, fire away…_

Chloe listened to the crystal-clear voice with all smiles. She couldn't help herself as she flipped on the light and yanked back the shower curtain.

"You **can** sing!" Beca screamed and tried to cover herself with the loofa she had pilfered from Chloe's bathroom. "How high does your belt go?"

"My what?" Beca was scrambling to pull the shower curtain to cover at least the essential parts of her body. She couldn't understand why Chloe was standing there naked grinning at her like a Cheshire cat. "I can't concentrate on anything you're saying 'til you cover your junk." She closed the curtain only to have Chloe open it up again. "Seriously? I'm nude!"

Ignoring Beca's protests, Chloe spouted off. "You were singing _Titanium_ right?"

"You know David Guetta?" Beca looked up shyly at Chloe.

"What, have I been living under a rock? That song is my jam." Chloe continued coyly. "My lady jam."

"That's nice." Feeling so exposed was not a feeling Beca was used to.

"Yeah it is! That song really builds. Sing it for me?"

"Ew! No! Get the hell out of here! We haven't even kissed."

"Not for that reason! Look, I'm not leaving here until you sing so..."

Beca's frustration was starting to show. "This is ridiculous."

"Maybe," Chloe replied defiantly. "But I can stand here all day."

Rolling her eyes, Beca gave in and reluctantly started singing.

 _I'm bulletproof/nothing to lose/fire away, fire away…_

Chloe joined in, harmonizing perfectly.

 _Ricochet/take your aim/fire away, fire away/you shoot me down  
But I won't fall/I am titanium/you shoot me down but I won't fall/I am titanium._

By this time, the women's eyes were locked as they sang together. Beca unexpectedly found herself moved at how incredible they sounded together. She then realized that she was standing completely exposed in Chloe's house in front of the equally naked redhead and shifted uncomfortably in the shower.

Chloe laughed. "Yeah, I'm pretty confident about... all this." She motioned around her body.

"You should be."

With that, Chloe turned to leave Beca to finish her shower. Beca leaned her head against the wall thinking about Chloe's exposure and total lack of boundaries. The touches and hugs and almost kisses were excruciating. "This woman is going to be the death of me. _This_ is my new mantra." Beca groaned as she cranked the water to full blast cold to douse the heat that had risen within her.

* * *

Both women were fully dressed when they exited the respective rooms. Chloe chuckled at how Beca was avoiding her eyes. "You do have a beautiful voice."

"Thanks." Beca mumbled.

Chloe slid a glass of iced tea over to Beca and climbed on top of the barstool adjacent to the brunette. "Why are you taking a shower in my house? Or a better question is how did you get in?"

Beca looked up and rolled her eyes at the redhead. "Seriously? You had me lock up your house Wednesday and put the key in the little ladybug rock. And … well, I just thought I'd be done by the time you got home and surprise you." She shot the redhead a sheepish look. "Guess the surprise is on me. By the way, it's not nice to sneak up on a police officer."

"Consider it payback for telling me and Aubrey you can't sing."

Beca blushed. "I never said I _couldn't_ sing. I think what I said was that I'm not much of a singer. Plus… I don't sing in public."

"Well you should. Your voice is great. So… what's my surprise?"

Chuckling, Beca responded, "Why me of course." When Chloe rolled her eyes, she continued, "Aaaaannnnd I thought I'd cook dinner again. That is, if you want."

* * *

After dinner, the women worked together to get the kitchen cleaned up and dishes put away. "Do you ever drink wine or are you just a beer kind of girl?"

"I am always open to try new things. I told you that."

Chloe searched for a particular bottle of wine and opened it. With the bottle and a few plastic glasses in hand, she took Beca by the hand and led her out to the back yard. She spread out the thick quilt Beca had carried and motioned the brunette to sit. After finishing a few glasses of wine, they both lay on their backs watching the stars twinkle above them. "You found a pretty sweet house Chlo. It's nice out here."

"Hmmm yeah." Chloe's voice was soft and distant. Tonight's relaxation was exactly what she needed.

The pair stayed outside for a while talking about random things. Beca learned that Chloe's favorite color was yellow and her first car was an old Volkswagen bug. Chloe pulled from Beca that her favorite color was black, no surprise there, and she always had at least one Labrador when she was growing up. The quiet night was peaceful as the two relaxed beneath the starry night slowly getting to know each other.

The silence of the evening was interrupted only by the chirp of the crickets scampering about in the dark. Beca propped herself up on one elbow to look at the woman lying next to her, red hair splayed out over the quilt. When Chloe turned her eyes towards the brunette, Beca gently brushed her hand across Chloe's eyelids and whispered, "Close your eyes." She tucked all the loose strands of hair behind Chloe's ears and ran her finger tips across Chloe's cheek, down her jawline and to her collar bone. Lightly tracing patterns over Chloe's skin, Beca saw the chill bumps that her touch caused.

She scooted down to where her lips could be closer to Chloe's face. Breathing softly, Beca began lightly running her lips across Chloe's earlobe down to her neck. She moved her arm down Chloe's arm finding her hand and entwining her fingers with the taller woman's whose breathing had turned heavy. "You are so beautiful," she whispered behind Chloe's ear as Chloe's breath hitched. Beca applied more pressure as she kissed Chloe's neck and throat. She was depending on the redhead stopping her if she went too far.

Chloe couldn't help but to squirm beneath Beca's touch. As a quiet moan escaped her lips, she felt Beca's body tense then quickly relax. Beca moved to kiss her cheek then the edge of her mouth. Right as she thought Beca was going to actually kiss her, she felt the brunette pull back ever so slightly. Chloe again whimpered.

"Chlo?" Beca's voice was barely audible.

"Mmm?" The redhead's whisper matched the low volume.

"May I kiss you?" Chloe swallowed briefly and gave a subtle nod of her head. As soon as she had given her permission, she felt Beca's lips ghost upon hers. Her body immediately melted. While she was afraid to move so as to not ruin the moment, she could no longer stand the anticipation. Chloe lifted her head slightly to press into Beca's lips.

As their lips touched, both women froze, relishing the moment. Beca sighed in contentment as her body dropped down, moving as close to the redhead as she could get. Beca swore that Chloe tasted like sunshine and glitter while Chloe's heart was about to explode with happiness and butterflies.

As the kiss deepened, the world fell away from around them both. The brunette's hand rested below Chloe's chin, her thumb caressing her cheek as their breaths mingled. Chloe ran her fingers down the smaller woman's spine, pulling her closer until there was absolutely no space left between them and she could feel the beating of the cop's heart against her chest. Time stood still as the women found themselves lost in each other's kiss under the stars.

* * *

Since Chloe had moved back into the city, she and Aubrey were re-starting their long-standing tradition of lunch and a girls' afternoon on Saturdays. After a few weeks, the redhead didn't have too much of a struggle to get Aubrey to agree to let Stacie and Beca join.

She knew that Stacie and Aubrey had been talking a lot, albeit most of their interactions via text message. Periodically Stacie would show up at her house with a small bundle of spring flowers or have something cute delivered to Aubrey's office to let her know she was thinking about her. But nothing had progressed past the "I like you friendship" stage.

The pleasant weather allowed for them to have a nice seat on the restaurant patio with just enough sunshine to warm the body yet enough shade so as to not annoy the vampire cops too much. "I like your sunglasses Beca. You seem to have quite the collection. I don't think I've ever seen you wear the same pair twice." Aubrey always noticed the little things about people.

Stacie chortled. "She does have quite the assortment indeed." Beca glared at her tall roommate. "Well you do." Stacie turned to Aubrey with a gleam in her eyes. "After Mitchell and I moved in together, I was a little afraid of her. I thought it was scary because every time I went into her room, she always had her shade collection completely lined up one-by-one, symmetrically in rows. We had just studied the basics of serial killer traits in the Academy, and well … you know."

Beca stood up, reached over the table and playfully slapped her roommate. Stacie continued to tease. "Furthermore, anytime we've gone on a trip together – vacation, holiday or what not, she's taken multiple pair and organized them just so."

Chloe giggled. "I'll vouch for that habit. She's amassing quite a few pair at my house. And to come to think of it… they are all perfectly lined up on the dresser in my bedroom."

Beca cut her off. "Having my many pair of sunglasses perfectly organized everywhere I go is just my serial killer trait. Besides, one can never have too many shades."

In an attempt to let the tiny cop off the hook, Chloe piped up again. "So, everybody has one – a serial killer trait." She gave a sideways glance to her blonde best friend. "Aubrey's here is that she prefers orange gummy vitamins to red or purple ones, which admittedly is a bit odd if you come to think about it."

The four women burst out laughing. Next the prodding was on for Chloe's and Stacie's traits to be revealed. "Beale here is too sweet to be a serial killer." Beca shouldered the redhead gently as she teased.

"I'm not so sure." Aubrey piped up. "Sometime, the sweet innocent tendencies are what throws everyone off." Chloe's eyes grew wide at her best friend's admission. "When we moved out of the dorms in college, Chloe rescued the cutest little dog. She thought it would be funny to train him in a cartoon voice, which was really more for Chloe's benefit than the dogs, obviously."

Everyone at the table were rolling laughing. Nobody would let Chloe off the hook until she gave some commands in the voice she used to train her dog. Chloe could only hold her stomach and laugh. "I think all that did was to make the poor dog insecure."

Chloe discovered more about Beca from Stacie than she did from the tiny cop. Learning that Beca was a Scorpio made perfect sense. Her strong willed mysterious ways melded perfectly with the astrological sign. The short brunette was very goal driven with seemingly little effort put behind achieving them. But Chloe knew different on that point – Beca strived with all of her being to reach any target she sat for herself. Her Scorpion tendencies also explained her distrusting and secretive nature but those were coupled with passion and truth in friendship.

While Beca enveloped Scorpio traits, Chloe was the epitome of Cancers. Despite being an open book, the redhead was quite challenging to get to know. Her sentimentality drove her close to people quickly, but her suspicious nature and hard shell often kept people at arm's length, keeping them from getting all the way in. While she got her feelings hurt easily, she was quick to hide the pain and forgave easily.

Despite her best friend being a water sign, Aubrey was definitely fire. Her Aries nature was true to the sign as she was determined and confident yet oftentimes aggressive (which wasn't always a bad thing). Aubrey's excellent organizational skills allowed her to be quite valuable at the office as she quickly worked her way up the ladder at work.

"Okay Stacie – your turn. What's your sign?" Chloe chirped up.

The long-legged brunette immediately scoffed. "Oh no Beale. Don't drag me into this. I don't believe in that shit. But if I tell you my birthday, I'm going to expect a hell of a present from your friend here." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively at the only blonde at the table.

* * *

As the days and weeks moved forward, Chloe and Beca fell into a comfortable rhythm. Each had learned to adjust to the other's schedule as best they could. Beca spent most of her days off at Chloe's doing little chores and helping to spruce up the cottage.

After work on Saturday and Sunday mornings Beca was rewarded after work when she crawled into bed with Chloe who made sure to stay in bed an extra-long time so the couple could have lots of snuggle time until the cop would drift off to sleep. When it was time for Beca to get up, Chloe would wake her with a steaming cup of coffee. Sometimes the huge breakfast-for-dinner she inevitably had ready and waiting would get cold as they got wrapped up in each other.

Much to Beca's dismay, their time in bed was still restricted to heavy make out sessions. As agonizing as it was, Beca was doing her best to let Chloe set the pace in the relationship. She knew that whatever base the two were building together was solid. Besides respect was just a cold shower away.

* * *

A three-day weekend was coming up for Chloe because of some obscure federal holiday. Since Sunday's were easier to find coverage than Friday or Saturday's, Beca used some comp time so that she and the redhead could spend some time together.

While Chloe wanted to go out with Aubrey and Stacie, Beca begged off and convinced the redhead that they needed a quiet night in with a homemade dinner and Netflix. Beca had gotten Chloe a grill, a self-serving housewarming gift she insisted, so dinner was hamburgers with grilled corn on the cob and asparagus.

When they both had their plates balanced on their laps in front of the TV, Chloe started her excitement cycle again as she got tickled about what she had picked to watch on Netflix. "Oh Beca, this movie is going to be right up your alley. I just know it."

Beca groaned as she didn't really watch movies. In fact, she struggled to stay awake most often because she found the plot boring and predictable. But who could deny Chloe's happiness? Certainly not her. She didn't much pay attention to the movie intro or she would have quickly realized that she was in for a treat, or at least Chloe was.

The next thing she realized, she heard a chipper little voice narrating a cartoon. _Once upon a time in a happy forest lived the happiest creatures the world has ever known._ Beca rolled her eyes. "Chloe – a kids' movie, seriously?"

"Shhhh you are going to love it! It's rainbows and chipper and happy, like me. Along with some gloomy and grumpy, kind of like you! _Trolls_ is a great movie."

Beca crossed her arms. "I'm not gloomy and grumpy." She pouted playfully. The more the show progressed, Beca realized how true to nature Chloe's words were. The show was indeed part Chloe and part Beca. If nothing else, Beca could appreciate the musical score of the show which was catchy. Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake made excellent musical collaborators.

The ninety minutes went by quickly and before Beca realized, Chloe was singing the closing credits and had taken both empty plates to the kitchen. "See that wasn't that bad, now was it? Now it's your turn to pick. I'm going to scoop some ice cream."

Beca took a few minutes to watch the oblivious woman in the kitchen before turning her attention to the remote to find a movie. She found her perfect equivalent to _Trolls_ , cued it up and waited for the redhead to return. When Chloe settled with one large bowl, Beca started to whine. "But what about me?"

Flashing her huge smile, Chloe held up what was in her other hand. "Two spoons. Now what are we watching?"

The movie started with a flyover of a large city then flashed to a helicopter. Chloe was not familiar with the actors' names flashing on the screen nor the title, _Bushwick_. The screen widened out to show more helicopters. Chloe kept waiting for something to happen or some dialogue even. The movie then shifted to a couple in the subway, a shorter blonde walking with someone who seemed to be her boyfriend.

However, as they approached street level, all hell broke loose. The streets had turned into a combat zone. When her boyfriend was killed, the blonde was soon left on her own to fend for herself, and panic ensued from there. While the movie seemed surreal at times, it had quite a bit of action and realism. Beca was pleased to discover that Chloe seemed permanently attached to her side while both their eyes were glued to the television.

Neither woman spoke until the film was over. Beca was the first to break the silence. "Damn! That was more intense than I realized Chlo."

Chloe was apparently searching for information about the movie on her phone. "Brittany Snow! She was some kind of hot Becs, a definite bad ass in that movie. We need to find some more of her work." Beca made a disgruntled noise as if she was jealous. "That's okay, you are still my favorite bad ass." Beca reached over to tickle Chloe just to hear the laugh she was beginning to love so much.


	6. Shotguns and Girlfriends

Beca was slowly beginning to open up to Chloe voluntarily. She was sharing things on her own rather than her roommate spilling all her secrets. Not that they were exactly secrets – it's just that Beca was a very private person. As much as she wanted to know everything about the tiny cop, Chloe respected her space and didn't push.

One afternoon they were at Beca's apartment, and while the brunette was showering, Chloe decided to have a look around her bedroom. They had reached the point in their relationship where she felt Beca wouldn't feel threatened by this. Some framed pictures were in the built-in bookcase in Beca's room; one in particular caught her eye. Picking it up, she wandered over to the bed and took a seat to study the photo.

"My favorite picture…" Beca came out of the bathroom towel drying her hair and sat next to the redhead. "That's my mom."

"She's beautiful. You look just like her." Chloe was quiet since she felt there was more to the story. Beca was in a cap and gown yet this didn't seem like a high school commencement picture, and since she wasn't in uniform – it certainly wasn't graduation from the police academy.

"Thanks. She passed away shortly after this picture was taken." Beca leaned into the redhead. "Didn't even let me know she was sick." The silence hung thick in the air. "I miss her every day." Beca's voice choked as she struggled to hold back tears.

"What about your dad?"

"Long gone," Beca scoffed. "He didn't even hang around to see me graduate from high school more or less college." She motioned to the picture.

At a closer look, Chloe realized that this was indeed a picture of Beca with a broad smile plastered on her face, mortar board on her head and degree tucked under her arm. Her other arm thrown around her mother's waist. Neither seemed to have a care in the world. "Where was this?"

"University of Seattle– double major in Business Administration and Music with an emphasis on Recording and Editing." Beca got up and went to her dresser, opened the top drawer and pulled out a diploma and handed it over. " _This_ … should have been my greatest accomplishment."

"Babe, this is quite the achievement. You should be proud. We need to get this framed." Chloe was tracing the university seal embossed on the deep blue cover then opened to look at the certificate inside.

An indescribable sadness had enveloped Beca as she took the diploma and put it back in her drawer. Her head was hanging low as she sat back on the bed beside the redhead. She exposed the tattoo on her left wrist. Chloe rubbed her fingers across the headphones ink she had seen the night she first met the smaller woman.

"I got this on graduation night as a present to myself for all the hard work it took to get through school." Beca sighed deeply. "And within a few weeks, my mom… was gone. Honestly, I think she was hanging on just until I finished. So that I _would_ finish. I had a paid internship lined up in Los Angeles; but when push came to shove, I couldn't do it."

"I just up and moved to Atlanta, a city randomly picked off a map. When I got here, I was so lost without my music; but at the same time, music no longer interested me. I hurt so damned bad and didn't know what to do with my life. I saw a billboard advertising for police cadets. And, well, the rest is history." This was the most Beca had ever shared with anyone except Stacie. And even then, her roommate had only learned things in bits and pieces. Telling Chloe in one fell swoop was almost cathartic. She trusted this redhead more anyone since her mother. Yes, she trusted Stacie, but Chloe was different.

Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca and held her tightly. "I can only imagine what you've been through Becs. Know that I'm here for you. Always." Chloe let her eyes float about the room as if seeing it for the first time. In fact, she hadn't recognized the object standing in the corner because it had always been draped with a sheet. Having this new background knowledge made the object take a familiar shape. Without asking, she kissed Beca on the forehead and went to the hidden piece of furniture. As she pulled off the cover, she gasped. "Becs? Is this…?"

Beca gave a soft smile and nodded. "My mom gave it to me for graduation. I couldn't bear to get rid of it. Sweet, huh?"

Chloe ran her fingers over the rosewood digital upright piano. Her experience let her know this wasn't an inexpensive instrument. There were outputs that allowed the player to plug directly into a computer, headsets or anything. The synthesizer allowed for blending of rhythm tracks and even other voices. This particular model provided advanced musical support many home users could only dream of. "This is exquisite babe. I can only imagine how proud your mom must have been for you… and I have no doubt that she still is. Do you still play?"

"I dabble." She chuckled. "But if Stacie's here I have to wear my headphones. She's a little bitchy when it comes to her sleep." Chloe's excitement was quickly smoothing over Beca's sour mood. She had quickly learned that the redhead's chipper mood always rubbed off quickly on others around her. She also knew that if she didn't play something for the redhead that Chloe would be relentless. She turned on the piano, and while it warmed up, she pulled up a side chair next to the piano so that she could watch the redhead's face "I don't play for anyone Chlo."

"Just cute redheads?" Chloe teased.

"Cute _sexy_ redheads!" Beca retorted. Finally, she settled in and took a few deep breaths and began to play. First was a series of three notes which she repeated several times before playing more of the song. The melody she was able to coax out of the piano was mesmerizing. Quality tone and perfect notes rang out. After several bars, she stopped.

Chloe's eyes were wide. "Oh my god Beca. What song was that? I absolutely adore it. Will you play more?"

"You like?" Chloe nodded her head emphatically. Beca grinned as she flipped on some beats which mixed in to her piano notes. She picked up the song, then she took things a step further and began singing the chorus of the song, right in the middle.

…  
 _But I can't help but drive away from all the mess you made/You sent this hurricane, now it won't go away/And I promised I'd be there, but you don't make it easy/Darling please believe me  
_ …

 _Loving you/loving you is too hard/All I do/all I do's not enough  
_ …

Her voice was pure and clean… pitch perfect. After singing a bit more with some humming, Beca closed the song with a little more instrumental. She looked over to Chloe who had been watching her with rapt attention – eyes oscillating between her face as she sang and fingers as she played the piano.

"Beca, that was … amazing. Not only the song, but your voice. Whose song is that?"

True to Beca form, she got quiet – blushed – and looked down at her lap. She turned off the piano, covered it, then came back to sit next to Chloe. While tonight had been a powerful sharing of emotion for Beca, Chloe couldn't understand why she was suddenly being so shy. "Melancholy, gloomy song… Who writes these sad songs anyway?" The brunette nervously chuckled.

"No! It was absolutely beautiful." Chloe couldn't take her eyes off the small police officer. "Wait…" Realization hit her. "Beca... was that your song?" Beca nodded slightly. "You wrote the music?" Beca nodded her head again. "You wrote the words?"

"Yes." Beca was quiet.

Chloe was in awe. "You have an amazing talent sweetie. Have you recorded this?"

Beca gave a small smile. "Maybe." She got up and pulled Chloe's hand to drag her to the dresser and opened the top drawer. There were easily a hundred USB drives filling the drawer. "I'm sure it's in here somewhere."

At that moment, the redhead promised herself to help Beca find her music again. Talent such as hers shouldn't remain dormant, and the cop deserved the healing that can sometimes only be found through music.

* * *

Ever since the night Beca decided to start truly trusting Chloe, she found it easier to talk about things like work and life before the police academy. The police officer even came to Chloe's school a few times and worked with some students on piano. "Traditional piano lessons can put a damper on any young child's spirit. Their parents are already shoving lessons at them, but these kids already have musical minds. Teach them the basics through the music that they enjoy. They will pick it up and quickly start creating what they see and hear on social media."

Because Beca was seeing Chloe in her element at work, the redhead wanted to be part of Beca's as well. Eventually Chloe convinced the cop to let her go on a ride-along as a part of the precinct's community awareness program although she had to play a little dirty to get what she wanted. One afternoon, Chloe was drying dishes and putting them up in the cabinet when she broached the subject. "I can always ask Stacie, you know." Chloe would never actually do that, but she knew her teasing would eventually cause Beca to cave and let her apply.

The shortened shift was three hours where the officer was only dispatched to minor calls. The department had a strong policy to never put citizens in dangerous situations. So mostly what they did was drive around in the community to provide visibility and park under street lights so the tiny cop could keep a watch on the street corners.

"This still isn't a nice part of town Beca." Chloe's voice wavered, showing her nervousness. "I know you work here, but…"

"And I live here…" Beca reassured her that despite what it looked like, this was one of the lesser dangerous neighborhoods to which she could be assigned. "It's my job Chlo." She reassuringly squeezed her the redhead's hand.

Chloe had wanted to see more of what Beca faced during the nights they were separated. She thought it would help her to feel more comfortable – to sleep better at night. Somehow it seemed to be having a reverse effect.

* * *

Despite Beca's words which were meant to comfort Chloe, Chloe still had concerns for the safety of the tiny cop to whom she was becoming incredibly attached. Beca's birthday was coming up which gave Chloe an idea. After running some ideas past Stacie, she did quite a bit of research and finally came up with what she thought was the perfect present for the pint-sized police officer.

A few mutual friends along with Stacie, and Aubrey showed up at the club to help celebrate Beca's birthday. Chloe lugged in a gaily wrapped, light but large and bulky box. She happily placed it with the handful of other presents for Beca. The small group had a good time visiting over a few drinks with nobody getting overly intoxicated.

When Chloe announced it was present time, Beca complied despite the discomfort she had with all the attention being centered on her. After opening her gifts, except for Chloe's since the redhead insisted she save the best for last, Beca admitted to herself that her friends gave pretty good presents. But the one she was anxiously awaiting was the large, bulky one the redhead had lugged in. Beca excitedly tore off the box's paper and started digging through the crumpled tissue. She finally came to a smaller box. Laughing at Chloe's antics, Beca had a feeling that finding her present was going to take her a while.

Sure enough, Chloe had wrapped five boxes in total, each in different colored paper with miles and miles of tape. Beca could only grin at how adorable the redhead was. This wrapping was something only Chloe could do. When Beca pulled out the small rectangular box wrapped in shiny blue metallic paper, she rolled her eyes.

"It's the last one babe. I promise." Chloe's smile was blinding as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet.

Beca carefully unwrapped and opened the small box. She unfolded the paper within as she caught the business card that fluttered out. She read the paper, three times to be exact. "You…" Beca was getting excited. "You bought me a shotgun for my birthday?"

Chloe's smile immediately fell as she looked down unsure what to think about Beca's reaction. The next thing Chloe knew, she was being tackled by the tiny cop. "Oh my god Chloe. You bought me a _shotgun_ for my birthday!"

Chloe was confused. "Wait. Does that mean you like it?" Chloe was cautious. "Is it an okay present? The guy at your gun range says this particular model is approved by the police department." Chloe was rattling along a hundred miles an hour as she was so nervous about Beca not liking her gift.

"Chloe! It's perfect." Beca was shouting. "A Remington 870! You are an amazing girlfriend. Best. Girlfriend. Ever." She puffed out her chest. "This is going to make me even more bad ass."

 _Girlfriend?_ Chloe was stunned at what Beca had shouted. They had never talked about things this far and had just been enjoying the simple company of each other. _But girlfriend?_ The redhead's chest was swelling with joy.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Don't get too excited Mitchell. You are still a munchkin."

"Yeah, I may be a midget in your eyes but now I have a _big_ weapon." Beca retorted. "Have you _seen_ where I work?" Beca's enthusiasm continued as she swung Chloe around. "Thank you so much babe."

"It's paid for and everything Becs. Mike said the sale needed to be finalized in your name because of department regs, but we can pick it up tomorrow. Plus, if you don't want that model, we can get you what you want."

"No, no, no. The Remington is perfect. YOU are perfect."

Stacie caught Chloe's eyes as she mouthed the words, "Told you she'd love it." She gave the redhead a thumbs-up.

* * *

Later at her house, Chloe wasn't sure how to ask about what the birthday girl had said. "Beca?" Chloe's voice was tentative.

"What's up Red?" The smaller woman turned around to face Chloe, seeing the concern in her eyes. "Yes, I love my birthday present. It was perfect; thank you." Chloe continued to look at Beca with a loss for words. "What's wrong Chlo? Do you not believe me?" Now Beca was the one concerned.

Chloe's shy smile belayed some concern. "I believe you Becs. But you said something at the club." Beca suddenly understood exactly what was going on and smiled at the redhead.

"Is that okay? I guess we should have talked about it first." Chloe shook her head. "Do you mind that I called you my girlfriend?"

Chloe smiled from ear to ear. "No babe. I just wanted to make sure you meant it."

Beca gently pushed Chloe to the bed and rolled on top of her new girlfriend, Beca began to kiss softly along Chloe's neck. "Let me show you how much I mean it." As much as Beca loved their long make out sessions, she was still letting Chloe set the pace on anything past that; but she wanted to give the redhead some special attention to show her that she meant what she had said.

Chloe had gotten into the habit of running her hands over the brunette's back. Sometimes she would massage, sometimes she would just lightly touch. Whatever Chloe chose to do always relaxed Beca. Sort of. But tonight – not so much. After weeks of spending so much time in close contact with Chloe, Beca was allowing herself to become worked up as her mind went into overdrive.

In an uncharacteristic move, she turned over to lay on her back. Chloe did not stop her movements and she ran her fingers over Beca's shoulders, down her arms and across the top of her chest. The brunette slipped her arms around Chloe's waist and beneath her shirt to pull the redhead on top of her. Touching the skin on Chloe's back was electric. Normally Beca did not allow herself such pleasure as she wasn't sure exactly how long she could keep her affections in check.

Chloe began kissing Beca, soft, languid kisses. Neither woman felt rushed. She sucked Chloe's lower lip into her mouth, deepening the kiss between them. Chloe dropped one leg between Beca's and allowed her upper thigh to make contact with Beca's core, causing Beca to whimper as the redhead rubbed against Beca's jeans. Every ounce of the shorter woman's willpower was being drawn into not ripping off Chloe's clothes. Weeks of cold showers while visions of the redhead's naked body as they sang her "lady jam" ran rampant through her brain were causing Beca to feel like a teenage boy at a wet t-shirt contest. These intense make out sessions certainly didn't help matters.

Chloe's kiss was entrancing and despite the intense effort it took to keep from taking things further, every moment was worth it. When she pushed Chloe off of herself, she lay next to her girlfriend with her sides heaving as she sucked in the air that had been stolen from her chest. The couple lay like this for a while as they both seemed to be pretty worked up.

Eventually Chloe propped herself up on one elbow so she could see Beca's face. "You ok babe?" Beca gave a non-committal grunt. Chloe started to trace Beca's shoulder lightly with her finger. "Talk to me Becs." She could feel Beca's breaths deepen as she knew what effect her touches were having on the tiny cop. Beca kept her eyes screwed shut and just hummed quietly as a distraction. Chloe slowly sat up, swung her leg over Beca's torso straddling her.

Beca's eyes shot open. "Not helping Chloe." Her words were stifled, strangled almost. Reflexively her hands flew to Chloe's hips. This caused an impish grin to cross the redhead's face as she leaned down to kiss Beca's collarbone and press herself down Beca's stomach towards her hips. "God Chloe. I don't know how much longer I can do this..." Beca's voice was strained as she fought the urge to buck up into the redhead's crotch.

Chloe tossed her hair to the opposite side as she went to kiss Beca's other collarbone, sucking lightly. She then abruptly sat up and grabbed the hem of her shirt teasingly. "Luckily for you my little bad ass cop girlfriend..." Chloe glanced at the clock beside the bed. "...it's still your birthday."

Beca locked eyes with the redhead, to make sure she interpreted Chloe's intentions correctly. When she was sure, Beca didn't have to be told twice. Chloe pulled off her own shirt as Beca's hands slid up her sides to unfasten and slip off the redhead's bra. Beca's lips immediately found one of Chloe's taut nipples and traced circles around it a few times with her tongue before sucking it hard into her mouth. Chloe threw her head back at the immediate sensation and let out a small whimper.

Beca struggled to turn their bodies around to find the ground with her feet. As she stood, Chloe wrapped her legs around the cop's waist. "Clothes Red. Too many clothes." Beca switched her mouth to the other breast as Chloe dropped her feet to the ground. Both women frantically undressed themselves and each other before falling back onto the bed. As she lowered her body back down to touch Beca's, the brunette could not help but to moan as their skin touched with no barrier.

Somehow just the ability to touch each other unencumbered by clothing seemed to ease the sexual tension which had been thick in the air. Beca returned to kiss her girlfriend, more slowly this time, as she allowed her hands to roam Chloe's body. "Gawd," she breathed through the kiss. "You feel so good. I've been dreaming of nothing more than this since you burst naked into my shower." She could feel Chloe's smile form at her statement.

"Why haven't you done anything about it Becs?" Chloe sucked Beca's tongue deep into her mouth then released it with a loud pop. Chloe gently gathered the brunette's hands and moved them above her head.

"I-I… Y-you." Beca swallowed as she tried to form her words. "Y-you wanted to go slow. I tried to respect that."

Chloe moved down to slowly suck one of Beca's nipples. As she did, she straddled Beca's thigh again, pressing into her. "Yes, yes I did. And you did. I appreciate that." Chloe arched her back and pressed herself harder onto Beca. "But you know what?" Beca shook her head. Chloe moved back up and kissed Beca deeply. "I don't want that anymore."

Beca lowered her hands and again placed them on Chloe's hips, this time pulling her harder against her leg. The brunette moaned as she felt the wetness seeping down the side of her thigh. "Oh baby..." She gently rolled Chloe to her back as she rested her hand on Chloe's flat stomach. Beca sucked Chloe's earlobe gently into her mouth as she whispered, "do you have any idea how much I want you?"

Chloe placed her hand on top of Beca's and pushed it downwards. "Then take me." Her eyes locked with Beca's as the smaller woman slowly moved her hand down Chloe's torso. Beca allowed her palm to ghost over the redhead's wetness. As she pressed into Chloe, her girlfriend's eyes rolled back into her head as a whimper escaped her throat.

"You... are so wet." Beca had no doubt that she was equally as wet but that did not damper her amazement at how turned on her girlfriend was. Chloe lifted her hips up and continued her whimpers as Beca used the heel of her hand to relieve some of the torment. "What do you want baby? Show me?" Beca ran her tongue up Chloe's throat and beneath her chin.

"Please," Chloe whimpered as she gently but firmly pressed down on one of Beca's shoulders. "Please…" Beca immediately complied and began to kiss her way down Chloe's body. She ran her tongue past Chloe's belly button to one of her hip bones and paused to suck the sensitive nerves located there. As she moved her arms to hook around the taller woman's legs, Beca sucked the soft area right below where she knew Chloe wanted her to be.

"Becs..." Chloe's pleading was cut off as Beca ran her tongue from the bottom of Chloe's opening all the way to her clit, gathering much of the moisture which had been pooling since they shed their clothing. "Yessssss..." As Beca began to lick and suck, Chloe worked her hips until she had Beca situated right where she needed her.

It didn't take long before her pelvis was riding Beca's face in a rhythm they both knew would not last long before sending the redhead over the edge. When Beca slowed, Chloe's whimpers picked up again. "Baby... please. I need this. I need you..." and again her whimpers were cut off as Beca knew exactly what Chloe needed as she slipped two fingers deep inside her. Beca moved her mouth up so she could trace circles on Chloe's clit with her tongue as she moved her fingers swiftly in and out of Chloe's body.

Chloe had her fingers tangled in Beca's hair as she pushed Beca down on her clit. Beca could feel the redhead's muscles tightening as her orgasm threatened to push her hand out. She abandoned Chloe's clit and worked her way up her girlfriend's body working quickly to ensure that she didn't lose her rhythm. Chloe welcomed her by digging her fingers into the shorter woman's back and panting into her ear. "Fuck Beca. Fuuucck..." As her body finally became rigid, Chloe fell over the edge knowing Beca was right there in her arms.

* * *

The brunette had slept with Chloe many nights with the cute little redhead curled into her side with Beca's arms around her. In truth, she felt as though tonight was the first time she was truly holding the woman who had exhaustedly fallen asleep in her arms after Beca had made love to her. Beca watched her for quite some time then decided that if she had to wait any longer for a drink of water, she might die. She made a mental note to stash some water bottles next to her girlfriend's bed.

Somehow, she managed to get out of bed without waking up the redhead. Beca went to the bathroom, washed her face, and got some water for them both. She slid back into bed with Chloe still sacked out. Normally Beca would never dream of waking the redhead up, but she was still worked up as hell. Besides it was her birthday after all. She wasn't a selfish person by any means but she'd been waiting for Chloe for months, and now that she had a taste, she wanted more.

The brunette crawled back into bed and snuggled up against Chloe's back, pulling her tight. She had grabbed a scrunchie from the night stand and gently pulled Chloe's hair away from her neck and secured it. Beca began to lightly kiss her shoulders and back. Chloe stirred slightly, especially when she felt hands drift across her breast, squeezing gently. She snuggled backwards closer to the warm body behind her whose hand drifted further down.

The redhead had to still be sensitive from earlier, and sure enough – she twitched as soon as Beca touched her clit. The shorter woman slipped down to see what moisture she could gather on her fingers. After dipping her fingers into the redhead's body, Beca brought her fingers up to Chloe's mouth. Instinctively, Chloe began to suck on her own juices from her girlfriend's fingers.

"Mmmm…" Chloe stirred a little more before realizing her surroundings and that she had fallen asleep immediately after Beca had made love to her. A guilty look crossed her face as she flipped over to face the brunette. "Oh god grasshopper, I'm a horrible girlfriend. Horrible."

"Shhhh, no, no you aren't babe." Beca twisted open the other bottle of water which Chloe drank from thirstily.

"But it's your birthday Becs. Tonight was supposed to be all about you." Chloe's pout was real and her remorse was obvious. "Instead – I fell asleep after you…" Chloe buried her face in Beca's chest.

Chloe's innocence and shame pained Beca to see. "Hey hey hey now. There will be none of this here tonight." She brought Chloe's face up so she could lean in for a kiss. "I've had a great birthday. MORE than a great birthday. I owe it all to you Chloe."

Chloe searched Beca's eyes and could find nothing but sincerity in her words. "Promise?"

"I promise, with ladybugs on top." Beca motioned for Chloe to finish her water. "Drink up Red. I have a feeling you are going to be needing that here in a bit. It's going to be a long night."

* * *

 _Drive_ by Jakle & Hide

P.S. I feel music is such an integral part of Bechloe. When I choose to write with lyrics, I probably won't use the whole songs in the chapters. I figure you probably already know them, and if you don't, you won't have context anyway. But if a song isn't "playing in your head" when you read the lyrics, I encourage you to check out the song. There's meaning behind them all whether it be behind the words or the voices who sing them.

* * *

Oh yeah... Rating change! ha ha


	7. Swing Batter Batter

_Several weeks later_

Chances were her roommate was going to throttle her, but Stacie knew that if something happened to her, she'd expect Beca to let Aubrey know immediately – and they weren't even dating … yet. Beca's phone was smashed into pieces, so she'd have to call from her own number which would alarm the redhead even more. Her first call was to Aubrey. After a quick explanation, Aubrey promised that she would get over to her friend's immediately.

Chloe bolted awake as she heard her phone ring. It's never a sound a police officer's girlfriend wants to hear in the middle of the night. When the redhead admitted to herself that it wasn't a knock on the door, she calmed before she answered.

"Stacie? What's going on? Why are you calling me? It's…" she looked at her clock. 'It's 4 am."

Stacie said the words they'd been trained to always lead with. "She's okay Chloe. Something happened, but Beca's going to be okay."

Bile rose in Chloe's throat as the panic threatened to overwhelm her senses. "Wh-what happened Stacie?"

Stacie kept her voice level and calm as she responded. "Aubrey is on her way to pick you up. Do your best to relax. Get dressed and I'll fill you in when you get here."

" **STACIE WHAT HAPPENED TO BECA?** " At this point, Chloe was starting to hyperventilate as tears flooded down her face. She wasn't going to be able to move from the bed until she knew that Beca was truly okay.

Stacie could tell the panic reaction her best friend's girlfriend was having and sighed with exhaustion. "It's a long story, but she broke her arm, wrist actually. She's in surgery right now, and I thought she might want you here when she wakes up. She's going to kill me for calling you, but I know I'd face a lot worse wrath from you and Bree if I didn't. She's going to make it Chloe. I promise. Aubrey should be there soon; so why don't you get dressed?" Stacie's even, calm voice was soothing. "I'll see you soon."

Trying to pull herself together, Chloe scrambled out of bed. She splashed some water on her face and pulled her hair back. When Aubrey arrived, she was dressed and ready to go. On the way to the hospital, she made her friend stop at a twenty-four-hour coffee shop for two cartons of fresh coffee and a couple dozen pastries. "Cops and their coffee… and I'm sure the hospital coffee sucks."

"You think they even taste what they drink?" Aubrey knew both their tactics were distractions to keep Chloe's mind from what she was about to face.

As they entered through the emergency room, they struggled their way through a sea of blue uniforms – officers who were there in show of support for their co-worker. Aubrey quickly found Stacie who was able to pull them into a side room to explain what happened.

"We had a suspect cornered on the balcony of his apartment. He was yielding a baseball bat, so Beca drew down on him had and ordered him to drop the bat. He was doped up on something big time. But because of the volatile situation between the public and police lately, our sergeant ordered Beca to holster her gun thinking that Beca would have time to switch to her taser since she was so close to the suspect." Stacie reached out and placed her hand on Chloe's shoulder.

As the tale unfolded, Aubrey and Chloe learned that the suspect swung the bat full force at Beca's head. Luckily, she raised her arm to protect her face, and he connected with her wrist rather than her head. Then, everyone else on the balcony bum rushed him which caused the balcony to collapse.

"She has a full fracture of her distal radius of her right arm. Because of the way it was broken, it needs to be repaired with a plate and screws. The kicker is that the bat probably didn't cause the major damage – just some mild cracks. She tried to stop her fall from the second story with her hand which broke her wrist."

Chloe was overwhelmed with emotions, shaking. "How was she when she came in?"

"She was pissed," Stacie chuckled. "The paramedics gave her some pain meds in the field, but she was cussing up a storm – at her sergeant for ordering her to holster her weapon, at the guys who broke the balcony, at me for being in the back of the ambulance with her. Meh - typical Beca. Oh – she was able to tell me one thing with no uncertainty. I was under strict friend, roommate, partner orders to not call you."

* * *

The first signs of consciousness from the brunette was a slight movement in the hospital bed followed by a low moan. Chloe was immediately at her bedside, holding her uninjured hand. Beca groaned a little louder. "Did you get the license plate?" Beca opened her eyes slightly and looked at the redhead standing worriedly next to her. "Of the truck that hit me." She softly squeezed Chloe's hand and coughed slightly. "Water?"

"Ice chips will have to do for now." Chloe spooned a few chips into Beca's parched mouth and kissed her cheek. "I need to call the doctor. A lot of people have been waiting for you to wake up babe." Beca squeezed a little more tightly in hopes her girlfriend wouldn't leave. "I have to Becs. I promise I'll be right back."

After a parade of doctors and nurses coming in to do a myriad of checks on the police officer, there was a short respite before Stacie and Aubrey entered. "You." Beca tried to pull off a gruff voice directed at her roommate. "I told you not to call her."

Stacie smiled down at her best friend. "Yeah well, I've never been really good at taking orders from you, have I short stuff?" She leaned down and kissed Beca on the forehead. "Glad to see you are awake. You scared me, all of us." She and Aubrey did not stay long since Beca was so out of it from the flurry of activity and the drugs.

The pain medication the hospital kept her on for the first day or two kept Beca pretty much out of sorts. The drugs weren't only for her casted wrist but also for her tiny body which was littered in knots and bruises from hitting the ground from twelve feet in the air. One thing she realized through her pain and drug induced haze, was that every time she woke up, Chloe was there – by her side just the way it was supposed to be.

* * *

After a few days in the hospital, Beca was driving the medical staff up the wall wanting to go home. The doctors eventually relented and released her with the understanding that she was not to drive while taking the prescribed painkillers. Beca had already vowed to not take them for any longer than necessary anyway, and she had a feeling Chloe wasn't going to let her out of her sight.

Knowing that Beca would be more comfortable with her girlfriend who could better take care of her, Stacie had packed a bag for her roommate. Aubrey had cleared out some drawer space at Chloe's so Beca would feel as at home as possible. She also made sure the refrigerator and pantry were both stocked with all their favorites.

On the way to the redhead's house from the hospital, Beca could tell that her girlfriend was overly nervous and concerned about her well-being. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Beca piped up. "Well a few good things came from this…"

"What on earth positive thing could have come from you breaking your wrist and having metal screwed into your body?" Since Chloe was driving, she was able to hold Beca's left hand. This was about the only thing keeping Chloe from losing her shit.

Beca tapped her cast on the truck window. "At least it's titanium." She hummed a few bars of the David Guetta song. This garnered a small laugh from the redhead. "Look, I have at least two solid weeks off, with pay. Then a desk job during day shift until I'm cleared for the street again."

"Ugh," Chloe moaned. "You are going to be so miserable babe. I don't see you as the type of person who likes to just sit around away from the action."

"Just think Red, we are going to be on the same schedule for the foreseeable future. Yeah, I'll get stir crazy and drive you batty, but it might be worth it to be with you like a normal couple."

Chloe brought Beca's hand to her lips and kissed it softly. "Promise you won't shut me out through all this Becs? I want to help you in any way I can, even if that means changing how we've been doing things."

"Changing?" Beca was confused. "Ummm are we going to stop cuddling?"

"Nope." Chloe stuck her tongue out at the brunette.

"Can I still kiss you?"

"Yes silly."

"What about laying in the yard under the stars?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Can I still cook for you?"

"Not so fast there Mitchell."

Beca laughed. "Well I had you on a roll there. We'll make it Chloe. Day by day. Promise."

Chloe pulled up at her cottage and raced around to open Beca's door. "It's what you would do for me, right?" She wasn't sure exactly how far to push her girlfriend and how much help the brunette would accept. But it wasn't exactly like Beca could manipulate things very well with her right hand.

As the cop hopped out of the truck, she stopped and looked at the new lawn decorations that had appeared since she last was at Chloe's. Brightly colored metal yard art now sat on either side of the steps leading up to the porch. On the left was an orange ladybug with rainbow colored spots while a purple grasshopper with green wings was on the right side.

"What the f…" Beca opened the gate and walked towards the grasshopper. "Chloe? Seriously? What's this?"

She had Aubrey get the yard art pieces as a surprise for when Beca got out of the hospital, so Chloe wasn't surprised to see them. But as she looked more closely at the grasshopper, she started laughing. "Oh my god Beca. What the hell?" She explained to her girlfriend that she had Aubrey get the pieces, but she was as confused as Beca as to what they were seeing.

The grasshopper's right foreleg was bandaged up with gauze making it look suspiciously like Beca's arm. As well, an oversized pair of sunglasses had been strapped to its head covering its big eyes. "That had to be Stacie's doing. I'm going to kill her." Beca laughed. "She's such a jokester. But they do make a cute addition to your yard, cast and all."

* * *

Knowing that the painkillers she had been prescribed were addictive, Beca stopped taking them as soon as possible. She did save the bottle for extreme cases of pain, but ibuprofen worked for the most part. Being able to be on the same schedule helped Beca and Chloe to slip further into girlfriend/girlfriend mode.

While Beca was limited with her dominant hand being out of commission, she didn't let it get her down. When she was cleared for light desk duty, Beca took advantage of office scutwork and burned a lot of her comp time so that she was only working three or four days a week.

Chloe ensured that her girlfriend was well taken care of – in all ways. While Beca did her best to return Chloe's actions, she enjoyed the affections being showered on her. She could not remember ever being treated this well in her life.

* * *

As Beca's pain leveled out and she was able to better function – getting used to the cast and all, Stacie starting needling Beca to go the karaoke night at the gay boy bar. "The men love it when we crash their party. I promise. Plus, the drag queen hostess is a total riot." The shorter brunette kept shooting her friend down cold.

Chloe, on the other hand, only had to bat her eyes and ask sweetly, and Beca immediately caved. Beca crowned herself as designated driver because of her wrist. She had been practicing short drives in her truck so there was no issue there. Now, she wasn't sure if she would have the courage to sing in public without liquid encouragement, but Chloe made several interesting promises which piqued the brunette's interest enough to garner the promise of a few songs.

As the group drove to the club, Stacie started talking about the emcee. "So, this drag queen – isn't really a drag queen. It's a chick who dresses up like a drag queen and entertains the boys on karaoke night. Believe me, she's a riot!"

The foursome settled at a table – drinks were ordered for everyone but Beca who stuck to club soda. Soon after they arrived, the lights dropped. When they came back up, the spotlights were directed on a glass mirror ball which was spinning from the ceiling sprinkling sparkles of light everywhere. A large drag queen came out and tapped on the mic. "Is this thing on?" The crowd laughed. "Gents… and ladies, it is my pleasure to introduce tonight's emcee, The one. The only. Fat Amy Winehouse!" All the men began cheering and clapping.

The drag queen nee woman who came out had truly captured the spirit of the late English singer and songwriter. Fat Amy Winehouse had donned a leopard skin mini-skirt which was paired with a tight fitting red plaid top which showed off her large, bare arms which had been adorned with multiple fake tattoos to mirror those of her namesake. She had a super tall black beehive hairdo which was tied with a red ribbon. It was easy to see why the gay boys loved her antics so much. She was every much a drag queen as the next man in a dress.

She started off on the song queued up for her entrance.

 _Whatcha gonna do with all that junk/All that junk inside your trunk  
_ _I'ma get get get get you drunk/Get you love drunk off my hump  
_ _My hump my hump my hump my hump my hump/My hump my hump my hump my lovely little lumps_

As she sang, she strutted up and down the stage thrusting her hips as she sang. It was indeed quite entertaining as well as utterly explicit beyond belief. After finishing her song, she tossed a large notebook on the table next to some slips of papers and pens. "There's the songs boys. Read 'em and weep."

* * *

Beca had already made up her mind that she was going to get at least one song out of the way and had one picked out. She refused to reveal her decision despite her friends' pleading. Nobody expected what was coming until the strains of the intro came on. While Stacie and Aubrey burst out laughing, Chloe's face turned a bright red.

 _You shout it out/But I can't hear a word you say/I'm talking loud not saying much/I'm criticized but all your bullets ricochet/You shoot me down, but I get up_

By the time Beca got to the chorus, Chloe couldn't stand it anymore and leapt up on the stage to join in belting out her lady jam.

 _I'm bulletproof nothing to lose/Fire away, fire away/Ricochet, you take your aim/Fire away, fire away/You shoot me down but I won't fall, I am titanium/You shoot me down but I won't fall/I am titanium_

After the pair finished, the performer who billed herself as Fat Amy Winehouse proclaimed, "Oh, I think we may have a new ladies' night out here men. You guys will have to step up. Don't let these little twig bitches out sing you."

* * *

After a few rounds of drinks for everyone except Beca, Aubrey decided she'd take a stab at seeing how her vocal chords had faired since college. Stacie obviously couldn't keep her eyes off the long-legged blonde who was torturing her in form fitting jeans and a tight-fitting sweater.

Aubrey crawled up on stage and started up a light-hearted song with a quick beat.

 _What you sippin' on that got you talking crazy?/Lookin' at me sideways, always coming at me/Why you, why you acting hard when you just a baby?/Boy, I keep it real with you, but you trying to play me  
_ _Have you lost your mind?/Open up your eyes/Huh!/  
_ _You must have confused me, confused me with_

Beca and Chloe chimed in from the table with Aubrey _(Someone else)_

 _You must have confused me, confused me with/(Someone else)  
_ _There ain't no excuses, excuses, babe/(Someone else)  
_ _Your mama raised you better than that, huh!  
_ _…  
_ _Why you, why you acting like you never met a lady?/I don't disrespect you, don't you disrespect me/Have you lost your mind? (lost your mind)/Open up your eyes/Huh!_

The entire time she was singing, Aubrey was pacing up and down the stage and pushing out her butt just at the right time during the song. Beca reached up and closed Stacie's mouth which was gaping wide. When Aubrey finished singing, Beca leaned over to whisper in her best friend's ear. "I think it's time you made a move Stace."

The tall woman could do nothing more than nod her head in awe as the blonde strutted over to sit next to her. All the men in the room were hooting and hollering at the show Aubrey had given. "I do love gay men," was all that Aubrey said upon returning to her seat.

* * *

Stacie's song started off slowly.

 _Please don't break me/Please don't let me fall/Please don't break me/And leave me nothing at all  
_ _'Cause this was my one last chance to breathe/This is my one last chance to breathe …_

Everyone in the club kept waiting for the song to build. The four women had been full of surprises all night. But while the music built slightly, the words remained simple. Stacie just stood still, eyes locked on Aubrey's as her powerful voice belted out the words to the remix.

During the last chorus, same simple words, Stacie closed her eyes and turned her head to the ceiling to pull more volume from her chest. By the time she returned to the table, she was panting from exertion. Nobody said a word, but her best friend and work partner reached over to give her a proud fist bump.

* * *

Everyone around them seemed to be having a great time. The ladies made a lot of new friends as guys came by to congratulate them on their voices. Sometimes they even got pulled up on stage, usually for some 90's songs that everyone seemed to know and enjoy. The emcee, Fat Amy, also joined in with some of the raunchier songs.

Beca's wrist was beginning to throb, and she knew it was getting time to head home. But she had one last song she wanted to request. "Will you sing another with me babe?"

"I will _always_ sing with you." Chloe was a little wobbly on her feet as the drinks had been flowing freely since their arrival. "But what are we singing?"

"You'll know it, I promise."

When the music started and the words began to roll across the screen, Chloe's face lit up. Beca had already begun to sing.

 _Baby, lay on back and relax, kick your pretty feet up on my dash/No need to go nowhere fast, let's enjoy right here where we at/Who knows where this road is supposed to lead/We got nothing but time/As long as you're right here next to me, everything's gonna be alright/If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be_

 _Baby, just let it be/If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be/Baby, just let it be/So, won't you ride with me, ride with me?/See where this thing goes/If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be_

 _Baby, if it's meant to be_

Chloe sang next.

 _I don't mean to be so uptight, but my heart's been hurt a couple times/By a couple guys that didn't treat me right/I ain't gon' lie, ain't gonna lie/'Cause I'm tired of the fake love, show me what you're made of/Boy, make me believe/_

Beca cocked back with her hand and sang, somehow finding a deep country twang to layer with her words.

 _But hold up, girl, don't you know you're beautiful? And it's easy to see_

Together, they finished the song in harmony with each other. As the notes to the song faded, Chloe could do nothing more than stare into Beca's eyes. There was no doubting it – she now knew the true meaning of being in love.

* * *

 _My Humps –_ Black Eyed Peas  
 _Titanium_ – David Guetta  
 _No Excuses_ – Meghan Trainor  
 _Last Chance_ – Kaskade & Project 46  
 _Meant to Be_ – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line


	8. Whispered Confessions

Due to the state of Chloe's inebriation, Beca struggled to get her girlfriend ready for bed. The lengthy time was due in part to the bulky cast on her dominant hand. However, the thought of putting Chloe to bed in her clothes was quickly pushed out of her mind since she liked snuggling with the woman better when she was in soft pajamas. Plus, there was something about Chloe's baby yellow ducks.

Eventually Beca got the redhead properly clothed and situated in bed before she got ready herself. By the time the tiny police officer crawled into bed, Chloe had settled into a rhythmic breathing pattern which indicated she was asleep. Beca awkwardly used her casted hand to pull Chloe's hair to the base of her neck giving her some skin to softly kiss.

"Oh Chloe," she whispered. "How did you manage to get inside my heart?" Beca kissed Chloe's neck again before her final words. "I love you Chloe Beale. I hope one day to show you how much we're meant to be."

Chloe's eyes popped open. Afraid to move in fear of ruining the moment, Chloe simply smiled at the words she heard her girlfriend whisper. There would be plenty of time for declarations in the morning. She simply snuggled backwards into Beca and went back to sleep.

* * *

While Beca was disappointed to awake to an empty bed the next morning, two of her favorite smells quickly brought a smile to her face – coffee and bacon, in that order. She could hear Chloe singing softly in the kitchen. Before the previous night, Chloe had not spent a lot of time openly singing around Beca unless the radio was on a song she loved.

After popping a few ibuprofen she kept by the bed to tone down the throbbing in her wrist, Beca relaxed and enjoyed listening to her girlfriend's voice. She laid back thinking about how much she had really enjoyed singing at karaoke the night before. Never in a million years would she have imagined herself doing something like that unless she was three sheets into the wind, but when Chloe asks, all things seem possible.

Beca's mind then drifted to last night after they got home, and she had wrangled Chloe out of her clothes for bed. What would have been different had Chloe not been asleep? She did not think she would have the courage to admit her love to the redhead in the light of day. When Chloe had been asleep, it was easy since Beca wasn't as vulnerable. But telling an awake Chloe, that was a whole different story.

It wasn't long before Chloe came in with an oversized wooden tray she had found at the flea market. She had decoupaged it with flowers, ladybugs, and grasshoppers… made it absolutely Chloe-ized. Setting the tray on the night stand, she leaned down and kissed Beca soundly on the lips. "I see you woke up," Chloe pouted. "I wanted to do the honors. I brought your favorites. What's first – coffee or bacon?"

Beca rolled her eyes. "Bacon, of course… after coffee." They both laughed. While Beca was a bit nervous after her late-night admission to a sleeping Chloe, she tried to blow it off with a deep breath. Her girlfriend had made a great breakfast – coffee, bacon, toast, lots of fresh fruit – nothing too heavy, nothing too light. "Babe, not that I'm complaining, but breakfast in bed?"

Chloe nodded. "Of course, you deserve it. I **did** make you some promises for karaoke last night."

A cautious Beca replied, "I don't recall breakfast in bed being one of those promises." Chloe just smiled. "Besides, it was fun. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed singing."

"I knew you would get into it once you took the plunge! What do you think about our friends? They seemed pretty into each other, eh? Intense."

"Oh god. Stacie and Aubrey need to just jump in feet first. They've been dancing around each other since we all met."

"Truth. Then again, it did take us a while to get where we are today." Chloe lovingly placed one hand on Beca's cheek. After her girlfriend had finished eating, the redhead took the tray back to the kitchen and crawled back into bed to snuggle. After a bit of silence, Chloe softly spoke. "Beca? Can I tell you something?"

"Yup." She pulled the redhead in closer and turned her face to look at her.

Chloe looked up at her girlfriend. "I love you, too."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Aubrey called her best friend on FaceTime. Both women immediately began squealing when the video connected. Trying to determine who was more excited was quite difficult. An outsider could surely tell how connected the friends were as they were in sync with their exhilaration. Something definitely had set each of them each off.

"Chloe, Chloe, Chloe! OH MY GOD." Aubrey hadn't been this pumped up in quite some time; her face was flush with enthusiasm. Simultaneously, the redhead was bubbling over and actually rocking in her seat with eagerness to share her news.

"You first Aubrey. What has you so pumped up today?"

Aubrey didn't wait for a second invitation to share. "She asked me out. Stacie _finally_ asked me out – like on a _real_ date."

"Oh my god Bree." Chloe happily clapped for her friend. "Tell me more. I want all the details."

"I've been waiting for this for so long. She won't tell me our plans – just that it's Wednesday evening and maybe I should dress up a little bit but not too much." Aubrey was waving her hands in the air. "I'm so excited but I'm also SO nervous. Will you help me pick out an outfit?"

"Well duh!" Chloe mock rolled her eyes. "Actually, I think this calls for a shopping trip!" Both women again squealed as they discussed the possibilities.

"So that's my news Chlo. What has _you_ so excited this morning?" Aubrey knew her friend was dying to tell her.

"Beca." The redhead was breathless. "Beca told me she loved me. Last night. She didn't think I was awake. It was soooooooooooo sweet."

"Well… did you tell her back?"

"Of course! This morning – during breakfast in bed."

"How romantic!"

"Right?" Both women were absolutely glowing. "Aubrey – last night was amazing. They both have incredible voices for sure. And all's well that ends well. You got a date - finally - and I got an admission of love."

* * *

Aubrey was beyond nervous as she waited for Stacie to pick up her. Chloe had helped her pick out the cutest outfit– not too dressy and not too casual with just enough sexy to make Stacie's mouth drop to the floor. Her pink flowered chiffon dress left her shoulders and lower back bare while the cloth ended well above her knees. Her cream strappy heels added several inches to her already tall, lean frame. She completed her ensemble with a cream-colored Italian leather clutch that she'd picked up in Florence when she and Chloe visited Europe after graduation.

"Chlo… are you sure I look okay?" Aubrey checked and double checked not only her outfit but also her hair and makeup.

"I promise Bree. Would I steer you wrong sweetie? Relax. She's going to love this. No matter what she has planned, you look perfect."

As the doorbell rang, Aubrey froze. "Get the door please?" Aubrey rushed to the kitchen sink and got herself a glass of water to gulp down to stave off the nerves that were jumping around in her stomach. "Ohmygodwhatamidoingicantgothroughwiththis."

Chloe giggled and opened the door for Stacie who stood there with a small bouquet of flowers. Her cornflower blue dress had big white, patterned diamonds. Her black heels emphasized the long, taut muscles in her legs. Chloe leaned forward and whispered, "she's super nervous – just so you know."

"And you think I'm not? How do I look?" Stacie's voice was shaking and she looked terrified.

"Beautiful. Perfectly beautiful." With this Chloe turned and led the brunette into the living room where the blonde was waiting.

Aubrey's dress did exactly what it was meant to do – made Stacie speechless. She approached the blonde and handed her the flowers. She placed her gently touched Aubrey's shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. "You look gorgeous," she whispered.

"As do you." Aubrey was struggling to talk, so she took a moment to smell the flowers. "And thank you for these."

Chloe plucked the bouquet from her friend's hands. "I'll take those for you Bree. You two need to get going." Chloe smiled at how nervous both her friends seemed to be. She was glad Beca wasn't here or she'd be teasing Stacie relentlessly, making the situation worse for both women.

* * *

Stacie opened the car door for Aubrey who slipped into the car. It was everything she could do to keep from skipping to the other side of the car. This date had been too long in coming but well worth waiting for. The woman she'd been craving for months was now sitting – in her car – with her ankles primly crossed – hands folded in her lap. Stacie took a few moments to soak in that sight.

She swallowed deeply to make sure her voice did not crack. As she started the car, she spoke. "A little birdie told me your favorite food is seafood."

"Was that little birdie a cardinal?"

Stacie chuckled and shook her head. "Nope. It was a tiny sparrow who may have heard it from a redbird though."

While Stacie was preoccupied with driving, Aubrey took advantage to watch her. She looked the brunette up and down, impressed that Stacie had sought out the advice of her best friend to help with choosing dinner. Conversation between the two was light as Stacie carefully navigated the streets of Atlanta to their destination. Periodically, Stacie would quickly glance over at her date, and they both would automatically smile.

When they arrived, the lanky police officer pulled up to the valet, one of whom opened Aubrey's door and another Stacie's. Stacie flashed her badge and pressed a twenty-dollar bill into one of the young men's hand. "Thank you, ma'am. I'll take good care of it." Aubrey couldn't tell if the boy was impressed or terrified by the cop who towered over him. Stacie's heels easily added two inches to her already towering height.

"Stacie… The Oceanaire Seafood Room? This is too expensive." All Aubrey could think of was her date was taking her to the priciest place in the city on a police officer's salary.

The brunette held her arm out for Aubrey as she disagreed. "Nothing is too much for you. This is our special night." When they got to the maître de, Stacie announced, "Reservations for Conrad."

The host said, "Conrad, party of two, right this way." He led the women to a quiet, secluded corner of the restaurant where an open bottle of wine was waiting in a bucket tableside. Both women were seated. The host poured Stacie a small bit of wine which she approved then continued to fill both glasses.

* * *

As the wine took the edges off their nerves, the pair quickly fell into easy conversation. They shared a variety of oysters along with an ahi tuna crudo all of which were delectable. After exploring the menu, Stacie took the safe route and ordered Wild Alaskan Halibut. Aubrey was feeling brave and ordered the whole fish offering – fried Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper.

When the server placed the whole fish in front of the blonde, all Stacie could do was gawk. Then she got the giggles. "Aubrey, your dinner… it's staring at you!"

"Kind of like my date, eh?" The alcohol had loosed Aubrey's tongue a bit.

"Funny girl. How the hell do you eat that?" The pair had spent so much time getting to know each other over the past few months that the banter came easily.

Aubrey pulled her chair around next to Stacie's and brought her plate with her. She showed the brunette where to cut behind the gills and how to extract the sweet fish cheek meat and scrape off the collar meat. "That's the yummy part of the fish." Together, they then sliced along the spine of the fish and the blonde talked Stacie through working the spine out of the fish body. As soon as the head and ribs were disconnected, the waiter immediately whisked away the carcass.

"Now there are probably still small pin bones left, but I can find those with the tweezers. You did a good job." Aubrey moved back around to her side of the table, taking her plate with her.

"That was … interesting Aubrey. I must say you are a woman of many surprises."

* * *

After they finished dinner, Stacie checked her watch and asked the blonde if she would mind postponing dessert until after their next activity. After dining at such a fabulous place, Aubrey never dreamed there was more to their evening. She quickly agreed and they were off to retrieve Stacie's car which the valet had immediately available.

Their next stop was the Horizon Theatre Company, a small local venue. While there was not much space inside, each seat offered an excellent view of the, stage and the actors were incredibly talented. "I hope this theatre is to your liking as much as your dinner." Stacie was nervous about Aubrey's reaction to the small venue.

The blonde placed a small kiss on Stacie's cheek. "We've been talking long enough for you to know that this… is right up my alley. I love the arts – theatre, museum, music, anything. And I've been a huge theatre nerd since second grade."

The night's play was a comedy-drama set in a small supermarket. The cast were a group of immigrants trying to find their way in a new country. Stacie pulled the good old stretching routine and placed her arm around her date. Aubrey's dress afforded Stacie just enough shoulder skin to drive her crazy. The blonde shivered at the touch then quickly recovered enough to snuggle a little closer into the brunette's embrace.

* * *

As the night drew to a close, Stacie was reluctantly headed back to Aubrey's house. She pulled into the driveway and came around to help Aubrey out of the car. "I had a great time Bree. Tonight, ended up being so much better than I expected." She squeezed the blonde's hand.

Aubrey paused outside her front door. "How so?" She entwined her fingers with Stacie's.

"I mean, I was just so damned nervous. I didn't even know if you'd go out with me. Then after I planned everything out, I was terrified you wouldn't enjoy things."

"Well I promise you that I would have said yes at any time. And I definitely had an excellent time." Aubrey suddenly got shy and turned to walk to the door. As she took the step to her front porch, Aubrey turned and faced Stacie and grasped both her hands. "Tonight was perfect, Stacie. Thank you." She paused. "Would you like to come in? Coffee maybe?"

Having some additional Aubrey-facts at her disposal, Stacie said, "How about some tea? I hear you have quite the collection."

Aubrey laughed as she turned to unlock the front door. "Your little birdie sure does sing a lot..."

Stacie chuckled. "We take care of our own."

While the blonde put on a kettle of water to boil, the brunette made herself at home at the kitchen table and looked around at the house. "I like your style...quite eclectic."

Aubrey placed a selection of tea leaves in front of Stacie. "I was going for modern with lots of splashes of color. But when I see a piece of furniture or art that catches my eye, I can't seem to pass it up thus the mix-match collection you see here."

"It suits you." Stacie watched Aubrey as she carefully selected cups and saucers. She brought over sugar as well as honey. "What is your preference for tea?" She tried to hide her smirk as a blank look crossed Stacie's face. "...or would you like a suggestion?" She could see the relief in Stacie's face as the brunette deferred to her decision. The blonde selected a tin with a dragon gracing one side. "This one is a little different."

Aubrey assembled the top part of a French press machine. She dropped about 40 small pearls into the bottom of the glass container and gently settled the mesh screen on top. "Normally it's just pour in the water and let the leaves steep. But this tea likes to put on a show."

She lifted the screen up slightly off the balls and began to pour in water. The pearls began to float, and as infusion began, the tiny balls began to bloom like flowers before sinking to the bottom of the French press. "The company calls this graceful unfurling ' _agony of the leaves_ '. I think it's beautiful."

With her eyes still glued to the tea leaves, Stacie breathed in deeply. "Oh, the smell is heavenly." She watched as Aubrey slowly pressed the metal screen down on the leaves, straining the liquid to the top and ensuring no errant leaves escaped. It was an intricate process but the results were well worth it as Stacie took her first sip of the immaculately prepared tea. "Mmm this is amazing."

Aubrey was pleased that Stacie seemed to be enjoying the drink. Tea was one of Aubrey's guilty pleasures; her collection included leaves from all over the world. After the planning and execution behind the date, Aubrey wanted to share an exceptional tea experience with the long legged, sexy cop. A small smile crept across her face as she watched Stacie close her eyes and sip the tea. Hoping the sweet floral tea had done the trick, she enquired. "Do you like it?" The rhetorical question was begging to be asked.

Stacie looked over at the demure woman sitting with her legs folded primly together sipping from her own tea cup. "Very much so. Beats coffee in spades..."

Aubrey got up and put on some soft music as background as the two continued to talk. Their conversation seemed endless as they as they flitted from one topic to the next. At one point, Stacie stood and held her hand out to the blonde. "Dance with me?"

Despite her knees being weak, Aubrey stood and let the brunette gather her in her arms so they could move slowly around the living room. Eventually they just stood swaying, looking into each other's eyes. Aubrey pulled both arms against her own chest and leaned into Stacie's embrace, putting her face against the cop's chest. "Hmmm this is nice." She then looked up into Stacie's eyes, trying to decipher the emotion she saw.

When she saw Stacie look down to her lips, she knew instinctively what was coming. Aubrey simply closed her eyes and waited for Stacie to kiss her. The connection of their lips was soft, gentle. Aubrey reached up with her hands to hold either side of Stacie's face as she returned the brunette's kiss, slowly at first then slowly building into a fierce passion. Stacie tightened her hold around the blonde.

Way too soon, the women broke the kiss, each one breathing heavily for air. Aubrey did not shy away from Stacie's eyes. The brunette was the first to speak. "I know this is our first date and all, but…"

Aubrey cut off her words by kissing her again, hard. She whispered through her kiss. "A first date that has been way too long in coming." She had thought long and hard about how she felt about Stacie. And once Aubrey Posen made up her mind, she didn't waver. If anything, she was blazoned and bold.

Stacie pushed back gently to look at the blonde. Her words were choppy as she struggled to catch her breath. "Bree are you sure? I don't want to force you into anything."

"Let me show you how sure I am." Aubrey locked eyes with Stacie, reached behind her back and undid the zipper on her dress. As the soft fabric pooled at her feet, Stacie could do nothing more than gawk as Aubrey stood there in a pink bustier which matched the dress which was now on the floor and pink garters which held up her cream stockings. Aubrey stepped out of her dress and stood there in nothing more than her undergarments and high heels.

Stacie's mouth went immediately dry as all the moisture in her body went south. "Ummmm have you been wearing that all night?" _Ugh, what a dumb question. Of course she has._

Aubrey turned her head coyly and nodded. She motioned with her finger for Stacie to close the gap between them. "Now Stacie, we both know how long we've waited for this. But this _is_ our first date and all. I don't want to force _you_ into anything. I've thought long and hard about what I want. Now it's your turn to decide what you want."

Stacie shook her head as she took in the beauty that was Aubrey Posen. The brunette stepped forward and picked up her date bridal style as they engaged in yet another long, deep kiss. As Stacie carried Aubrey to the bedroom, the blonde whispered, "I have to admit though; I've never slept with a woman before."

At that admission, Stacie knees about collapsed. "That's okay Bree. I have a feeling we'll be just fine."

* * *

A/N: I had originally wanted just a smattering of Staubrey in this story. As I was writing, I found myself inserting them more and more.


	9. Facing Struggles

Chloe blew up her best friend's phone on Thursday trying to get details about how the date went. Aubrey refused to say much of anything, and Beca reported that Stacie was pretty mum as well. Finally, Aubrey told Chloe that she needed time to think about things and that they would talk during girls' afternoon on Saturday. The pair normally shared everything with each other, so this was a little odd – but Chloe laid off harassing Aubrey.

When Saturday came, the best friends decided on an early brunch because Aubrey alluded to plans later in the day. "Okay… tell me everything starting from when you left the house."

Aubrey shared about their dinner and Stacie's reaction to her ordering a whole fish. "I guess maybe I was trying to impress her." Chloe giggled. The blonde talked about the theatre and just how polite and gentle Stacie had been all night. "She's not nearly as obnoxious as when she's with Beca; I was impressed."

"She really likes you Bree. She has since day one." Aubrey blushed then went on to explain how when they got back to her house, she invited Stacie in for tea.

"You served her Dragon Phoenix Pearl tea?!" Aubrey nodded. "I'm so incredibly jealous. Did she like it?"

Aubrey giggled. "She loved it. I'm such a tea snob."

Chloe was being polite and not asking how the evening ended even though it was killing her to not ask if Stacie had kissed her. Therefore, she took a different approach. "You know Beca has been trying to get her roommate to spill the beans about the date. Stacie's not talking." She eyed her best friend whose face was beet red. "Hmmm…"

Chloe knew that Aubrey didn't do well with silence so she tried that tactic to get the blonde to volunteer some information. She took a close look at her friend then a realization hit her. "Bree… why are you wearing a scarf?" Aubrey refused to look at her friend. "Bree… spill it. Now." Chloe ordered her best friend to talk.

Aubrey slipped her finger beneath the scarf as if it was too tight, rearranged it some, then pulled it back up. During that process, Chloe saw the bruises littering Aubrey's neck. "Holy fuck!" She whispered.

"Yeah you can say that again." Aubrey's embarrassed face disappeared as a smile grew in the place of the discomfort that was in its place just a few moments ago. "Chloe… I think I've been to heaven, and I'm not looking back." She sighed heavily and leaned back in her chair. A few moments later she leaned forward and whispered. "You never told me just how good all this is."

"Why you naughty little minx!"

While Aubrey would not share many details as she was too proper for that, she did let Chloe know that her night with Stacie was, without question, the best she ever had.

* * *

Over recent days, Beca had become overly sullen. Regardless of what she tried, Chloe could not seem to pull her girlfriend though this rough spot. Their relationship had been built on a strong base, and the redhead no longer feared pushing Beca away. But she was concerned as Beca seemed to be sinking to an untouchable place. Chloe kept nudging her girlfriend to try to discover what was going on with her.

One afternoon, she pulled up to the curb at her house and realized Beca's truck was missing. While that wasn't odd, Chloe was still curious. She texted the officer to let her know she was home. The concern was minimal when she didn't get at immediate response. After a few hours however, Chloe did start to worry. Beca wasn't picking up her phone nor responding to her texts, so she broke down and called Stacie.

"Hey Stace. I know it's early but I was wondering if you've seen Beca. She's not picking up her phone or responding to my messages."

The tall brunette gave a deep sigh. "Yeah. She's here at the apartment. I thought she'd snap out of it but maybe you should come over."

When Chloe got to the apartment, she was surprised to see things in various stages of packing. "Stacie? What's going on?" Boxes littered the floor as all the furniture was pushed to the sides of the living room.

Confused, Stacie responded. "She didn't tell you?" Chloe shook her head. Beca's roommate explained that she had been moved to second shift. Plus, she had put in her application for special ops training. "A precinct change might be in store soon. Since Beca's on light duty, we can't patrol here at night anymore. The complex gave us thirty days to vacate. And that thirty days … is up this weekend."

Chloe wandered into Beca's room to find her curled up into a tight ball on the bed, covers pulled up over her head. The redhead lay down next to her and scrambled under the covers so she could hold her tiny girlfriend. They lay like this for a while. Then Beca sniffled and turned to bury her face into her girlfriend's chest. Chloe saw the dried tears on tough woman's face.

"Hey Becs. What's up?" Beca shrugged. "Why didn't you tell me what was going on? You've known about this for almost a month!" Beca again shrugged. "We agreed that this relationship was to be built on trust. Don't you trust me?"

"Yeah." Beca's voice was as tiny as her stature. "I'm just scared I guess."

"Okay that's a fair statement. What scares you?" Pulling things out of Beca was painful.

"I don't have any place to go really. Stacie is leaving. But what about me?"

Beca's pain was bleeding into Chloe's chest. The redhead had a feeling this reaction was also stemming from the loss of Beca's mother, fear of being abandoned. "She's not leaving you Beca. She's just going to try different things at work. That doesn't mean she's not still going to be here for you. She loves you. Plus...you have me."

After thinking about this for a while, Beca responded with a faint voice. "Yeah but where am I going to live?"

Chloe's heart was breaking as she put on a false, chipper front to try to allay her girlfriend's fears. "Why, with me silly. I have plenty of room and you practically live there anyway."

Beca squeezed her girlfriend tighter. "Really?" She sounded genuinely shocked like that had never been a thought for her.

"Yeah. Really. Now. What else is wrong?"

"Just everything it seems – moving, work, missing my mom, this." She waved her casted arm around in the air.

Chloe knew how much stress Beca carried and wasn't surprised that this was happening. She took a big risk in what she said next. "Beca… you know the department is not going to let you return to active duty until you go to counseling. I'm surprised they have let you go this long without an appointment. I wish you would consider going soon. What you experienced was a pretty traumatic event."

Beca groaned. "I'm not weak, Chlo."

"Talking to someone doesn't make you weak. I think it will really help resolve some of your mental pain. Besides it's a department requirement. The sooner you make some appointments, the sooner you can be cleared back to active duty when your arm heals."

Blowing out her breath, Beca grumbled. "Okay, okay. I'll call the department therapist on Monday."

Satisfied with her response, Chloe gave her a big hug. "Now about this mess of an apartment…"

* * *

With the help of Aubrey's incredible organizational skills, the four women were able to get everything packed up and moved to the respective new places before the looming deadline. Chloe rearranged things in her house, moving her seasonal clothes to the spare bedroom to make room for Beca's and designated the office as Beca's music room.

With the extra time the police officer was taking off from work, Chloe hoped that having time to arrange that room exactly how she liked it would be therapeutic for her girlfriend. They designated one area for computer equipment – next to her electric piano. There were even two guitars Chloe didn't know existed hanging on the wall. The redhead bought various storage containers into which Beca could store various musical odds and ends.

While her mood was not yet completely balanced, the stability of the relationship with Chloe and again having a home was comforting to Beca. She was beginning to feel safe again, something that had been missing since a perp tried to hit a homerun with her hand.

One afternoon, Chloe came in with a large rectangular package decorated with ribbons and bows. She proudly pushed the package across the table to her girlfriend as her smile lit up the entire room. Up until this point, besides the shotgun, Chloe's presents had been along the lines of toy garbage trucks, cast-iron police cars, and grasshoppers, so Beca was clueless as to what this could be.

The brunette shifted back and forth uncomfortably on the balls of her feet. "What's this? It's already past my birthday, ladybug. You got me that awesome shotgun, remember?" She leaned over to kiss the redhead.

"Just open the present." Chloe said patiently.

Despite playing it all cool, Beca knew Chloe wanted her to rip right in to reveal the gift. Chloe was not very good at keeping surprises. So Beca teased her and took her time by unwrapping the present slowly as if trying to preserve the paper while Chloe continued to bounce on her feet. When she finally saw what was beneath the paper, she stared – didn't say a word, just stared. Finally, she whispered, "Chloe what did you do…?"

Chloe bit about her bottom lip, worrying some of the skin off with her teeth. She had again taken a chance with this gift, much like the shotgun except this one was a lot more personal. "Despite how you may feel Beca, I still think this is your greatest accomplishment." Chloe pulled the remnants of paper still taped on Beca's now professionally matted and framed diploma from University of Seattle.

"You have room in our home that's dedicated to music, and I think it's time that you stop hiding your accomplishments. The frame matches the one picture of you and your mom." Chloe walked over and retrieved Beca's favorite picture to show her. "I thought we would hang them together, next to each other. Your mom was so proud of you Becs. I think she'd like that."

Beca looked up towards the ceiling fighting the tears which eventually started leaking out of the side of her eyes. "Music was once a huge part of your life Becs. I want to be a part of helping you find that again. If you will let me." Beca softly nodded her head as she tightly wrapped her arms around her redheaded girlfriend. She buried her face in Chloe's shoulder and let the tears flow.

* * *

Even after Beca got moved in to Chloe's and started seeing the department therapist, she was still having bouts of depression. The therapist was not just having her talk about the work incident, but they were also unpacking her feelings about losing her mother. Dealing with two incredibly intense life events were quite draining, intense on the emotions. There were many days after her session where she didn't seem to want to do much of anything as coping took every ounce of her energy. One afternoon, Aubrey showed up unexpectedly and barked at Beca. "Come on hobbit. Get dressed."

Beca frowned at the tall blonde. "Hobbit?" She questioned. Aubrey simply stood in the living room and glared at the short cop. Wondering what she did to upset her best friend's girlfriend, Beca quickly got dressed as she felt it safer to avoid the blonde's wrath. "Ummm where are we going?" Aubrey wouldn't tell her, and Beca was quite surprised when Chloe's best friend pulled into the parking lot of a gun range. "Hey Sherlock." Beca waved her still casted arm in the air. "Newsflash. I can't shoot."

Aubrey bustled Beca out of the car and checked them into the indoor range. "I'm not sure what all they taught you in the academy, but you should always be able to be prepared for the worse situation possible. We are going work on non-dominant hand shooting." The blonde was nothing but business this afternoon.

Soon Aubrey had Beca carefully practicing shooting with her left hand. She was being militant about everything and wouldn't let Beca's pitiful whining allow them to stop. "You are being absolutely childish for such a self-proclaimed bad ass," she snapped.

"Well the cartridges keep hitting my face when I'm holding the pistol close. I'm not used to shooting with my left hand. Why are you being so mean to me?" Beca's confusion was apparent in her nonsensical rattling.

"The shells aren't ejecting anywhere near your face. Geesh, Mitchell. Extend your arm, keep both eyes open, and get used to it. If Chloe was in danger, and your right hand was injured, you damn well better use your left." Aubrey barked at her best friend's girlfriend, trying to snap her out of the self-imposed pity party. Aubrey exited the range and then a few minutes later came back with another pistol, and one of the men from the front. He explained how the ambidextrous handgun worked and took Beca through the basic paces so that Beca could try a different weapon.

It didn't take Beca long to master the slide controls and magazine release. Soon she could operate the weapon completely on her own, depending on Aubrey only to reload the magazines. She probably could have struggled through that, but the blonde wanted her firing off as many rounds as possible. While Beca needed a lot more work on her aim and tightening her pattern, she could feel tension leaving her body. The relief she felt with the heft of the pistol in her hand relaxed her, made her feel at home – more than she thought it would.

Once they were done for the afternoon, they picked up the spent brass and packed everything up. Beca's mood had improved enough to where she could tease Aubrey. "Who knew you would be such a great instructor, a little on the aggressive side, but it gets the job done."

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "I was serious when I told you that my father is a weapons expert in the military. I've been shooting since I could hold a gun."

The pair stopped at a little smoothie shop before heading back to the house. Since the mood had lightened between them, Beca decided to breach an unspoken topic. "So, what's up with you and Stacie? Chloe won't fill me in on the goods." Aubrey blushed and turned her head to avoid the question. "Come on Bree, Stacie is my number one bud. I need to know what's going on to know if I need to give you the best friend's speech."

"That's not fair Beca. I never exactly got around to giving you that talk."

"And you know I would never ever hurt Chloe."

Aubrey decided to jump onto that topic feet first. Her voice hardened. "I know that you don't _think_ you would hurt Chloe, but the way you've been acting recently sometimes makes me wonder where your head is Beca. I brought you shooting today to try to clear your mind enough so you could see what you are doing to her."

Beca's head hung to her chest as she realized how her recent behavior could be negatively affecting her girlfriend. "I just come with a lot of issues Aubrey. I mean I appreciate you looking out for Chloe and all, but I think I just have things I just need to work through. Today helped more than you know. I appreciate you, Aubrey. Plus, Chloe convinced me to start the department mandated counseling." She waved her casted arm around. "I'm learning that this incident impacted me more than I realized."

"Whatever is going on with you Beca – you need to figure it out quickly. You may not see Chloe's pain, but she sees yours and it's tearing her up."

* * *

When Stacie learned that Aubrey would have Beca occupied for the afternoon, she dropped in on Chloe. "So tell me Stacie, should I be worried that my best friend kidnapped my girlfriend?"

"Nope."

"Are you going to let me know where they went?"

"Nope. That's Beca's tale to tell. She'll let you know if she wants. I know you trust them both, so just let the midget come to you when she's ready."

"Okay… then let's talk Aubrey."

Stacie's face broke out into a wide grin. "I'm so glad we finally went out. She's really something else." Chloe could tell that the taller brunette was truly happy.

"You know she's new to all this, right?" Stacie nodded. "And you know if you hurt her, I'll have to do some major damage, right?" Stacie chuckled.

"I can say the same thing to you Red. Let's just consider each other warned."

Stacie shared with Chloe that her application for Special Operations had been approved. "I haven't told anyone else yet."

"Whoa – you are going into SWAT?"

Stacie shook her head. "No, no, no. I either want to get into Mounted Patrol or Special Events Permits. We will get some SWAT like training, but that's way intense, and not to mention pretty dangerous. Mounted requires another round of applications and tests, so it will probably be Special Events. Anyway, classes start in two weeks. I need to do something special for Aubrey since our time together will be severely limited while I'm in training."

"You already spoil her Conrad, but I see your point. What are you thinking?"

The tall police officer explained her idea of packing a huge picnic basket for the blonde so they could spend some time at a local park. Then afterwards, head to a rock climbing gym to get all hot and sweaty.

"I think she'd love the challenge for sure. Why don't you let me pack the basket? Beca and I will make everything perfect for you at the park and all you have to do is show up? Make it a mysterious surprise."

They talked a little longer and finalized the plans for Stacie's next big date with Aubrey.

* * *

Seeing that Stacie's car was at the house, Beca invited Aubrey to stay for dinner before they went in. "I'm sure Stacie won't complain." The blonde agreed

Chloe greeted Beca with a soft hug. She was aware that her girlfriend had been on the fragile side of things lately and was trying to not be so suffocating. "You smell like gunpowder, stinky girl." Chloe laughed and went to give her best friend a hug as well.

Beca announced that everyone was staying for dinner. She asked Chloe to run to the meat market around the corner to get some steaks for the grill and some red potatoes. "I'm going to shower."

By the time Beca was out and dressed, Chloe had returned from the market and was heating up the grill. Because the cast was still being a bitch to work with, Beca agreed to let Stacie help outside. Aubrey stayed in the kitchen with Chloe. They par-boiled the potatoes then smashed them down and coated them with salt, pepper, oil and lots of cheese. Those were then wrapped in foil and taken out to the outside crew to be placed on the grill.

Back inside, Aubrey made a cucumber and tomato salad while Chloe mixed a pitcher of sangria. "Is she going to be okay Bree?" Chloe finally broke down and asked about her girlfriend.

"I think so Chlo. I really do. She just needs to find herself again, and you are the perfect person to help with that. Just keep being patient."

The food was ready quickly and everyone settled inside to eat. The group of friends laughed and joked most of the evening as they enjoyed good food and each other's company. There was not a closer knit group of friends than the four people sitting around that table.

Then Stacie said she had an announcement to make. "Hey gals, guess what I found out this afternoon at work?" Aubrey leaned into the tall brunette and stole some food off her plate. "This girl," she pointed to herself, "made it into Special Operations training."

Aubrey wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and gave her a big hug. "I'm so proud of you darling. I never had a doubt."

"Good old friend, old buddy, old pal." Beca raced around the table and started punching her friend with her good hand. "I knew you could do it. This is awesome." She gave her best friend a huge hug. "I'm happy for you my friend."

"Better be careful Mitchell; I may just pass you in the bad-ass department." Stacie grinned at her the reaction she was getting to her announcement. She had been elated but to have this type of support from her friends and girlfriend felt good, rewarding.

Beca goosed her best friend in the sides. "Never in your wildest dreams, Conrad. Never."


	10. The Healing Power of Music

A few days later, Chloe came home to a quiet house. She knew Beca was there because her truck was parked outside. The house was dead quiet. She peeked in the bedroom to see if her girlfriend was napping, but the bed was empty. When she looked into the office, Beca's music room, her heart about melted.

Beca was at her piano with an oversized set of headphones over her ears and a small table to her left with papers scattered over it and the floor, pencil in her mouth. She would play on the piano a bit, then awkwardly grasp the pencil with her casted hand and scribble on the paper. Since the headphones were plugged in, the room was silent but for the clacking of keys and rustle of shifting papers, but Chloe could tell the intensity with which she was working and decided to not bother her. She snapped a quick picture then quietly closed the office door and went to the living room.

Her girlfriend had told her about going to the range, and how it felt to hold a gun again and the power behind firing a weapon. Beca said that Aubrey had told her that if they were in danger and Beca was hurt, she still needed to be able to protect Chloe. "God babe, Aubrey really opened my eyes. I couldn't see before how I was acting, how I was treating you. But you, Aubrey, and my therapist – you are all right. I'm glad you could see what I needed even when I couldn't."

After the conversations she'd been having with her girlfriend and seeing the progress made, the redhead was tickled to see Beca writing music. Chloe texted the picture of Beca at her piano to her best friend then dialed her number. "I think it's all working Bree. I think she's getting better."

"Good Chloe. You deserve to be happy. I'm going to keep taking her to the range for a while if that's okay with you?" Chloe assured her it was.

When Beca was still holed away in her music room after Chloe had finished her grading and lesson planning, the redhead decided to start making dinner. She found a new recipe online for roasted chicken thighs that made a super crunchy skin which sounded yummy. Chloe put in ear phones and found the right playlist to listen to and slid her phone into her jeans pocket. She propped up her iPad in the kitchen and began to prep food as she listened to her favorite music and danced around.

Forty-five minutes later, Chloe was flipping the thighs so the skin could finish getting crispy. She slid the cast iron skillet back into the oven and closed the door. As she turned to the sink, she ran smack dab into Beca and screamed. "Fuck Beca." She turned off her music and took out her earphones. "You scared the life out of me. How long have you been standing there?"

"About two songs. You sure are adorable." She leaned over and kissed Chloe on her nose. "And how long have _you_ been home?" When Chloe responded she'd been there for a few hours, Beca's eyes widened. "Chlo, why didn't you tell me you were here?" She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend.

"You were busy babe. Since you moved in, I've not seen you on your piano. And you were working so intensely. I didn't want to interrupt musical genius." Chloe giggled and jumped back from Beca's tickling fingers. "You don't have to wear your headphones here, you know."

"It's habit, I guess. Part of my process." The small brunette shrugged her shoulders.

* * *

Stacie trusted her friends to pull off the perfect picnic for her and Aubrey's date. She knew the redhead could accomplish that with no problem and had an inkling that her tiny partner could dig down deep for a bit of romance.

"Casual Bree. Dress very casual. And you'll need to pack a small bag with yoga clothes and a pair of tennis shoes."

Of course, Aubrey was curious. They had a middle-of-the-day date, and Stacie wasn't giving her any clues as usual. She dressed as appropriately as she could and complied with the tall brunette's requests. "You don't have to always be so mysterious Stacie."

"Not always, but today I do." Stacie drove them to the park and opened the blonde's car door for her. Holding her hand, they began to amble across the wide expanse of grass which was outlined by tall oak trees. She was fairly certain she knew where Chloe had told her the picnic was going to be waiting but was still nervous that she wouldn't find it.

Just as she was about to give up, they came across an oversized blanket spread beneath an oak tree which had a thick trunk with gnarly branches spreading into a canopy above them in the sky. Aubrey took in a sharp breath as she saw the wicker basket along with food that had been arranged on the quilt – fruit, cheeses, a charcuterie board, wine, mineral water. Chloe had packed everything she could possibly think of for an afternoon meal.

"Stace? How did you pull this off?" Aubrey was once again amazed at her girlfriend's planning.

The brunette grinned. "I had the help of a couple little birdies." They both laughed.

After nibbling on the many delicious snacks already laid out, Stacie pulled two wax paper wrapped sandwiches from the basket. Each was cut into halves – one was chicken salad and the other was ham and cheese. The women swapped halves and took their time eating under the shade of the tree.

"I thought you deserved a nice, peaceful day together Aubrey. My life is about to get super busy and stressful."

"I know it is Stace, and I hope you realize that I support what you are doing in advancing your career."

They talked a bit longer about the classes Stacie was about to go through and what all they were going to entail. "I'm going to miss you Bree. I'll do my best to see you when I can."

"What's most important is that you do well in school. I'll be here for you Stacie. I've waited this long to find you – I can wait a little longer."

Stacie packed up the remnants of lunch back into the basket and moved it to the side. The new couple laid on the blanket, staring through the branches and leaves of the tree at the blue sky peeking through.

"It all looks different from this angle," Stacie whispered.

Aubrey nodded in agreement. "Perspective is everything. I'm certainly learning that the more I get to know you." She turned to her side and scooted closer to the dark-haired woman, placing a suggestive kiss on the curve of her jaw.

Stacie turned to face the blonde. "Getting bold, aren't we? In public?" Aubrey nodded as she leaned in further to kiss Stacie's lips who immediately kissed her back as she gently caressed the blonde's face. Aubrey could not believe how comfortable she felt with this woman. She never felt completely right with anyone she had dated in her past. But Stacie… was perfect.

"I have another surprise for you. Our day isn't over yet!" Stacie looked at Aubrey and grinned. She loved surprising the blonde.

"This was already the perfect afternoon."

"Yeah, well, I think you'll like what I have planned." They laid beneath the tree a bit longer then gathered up the blanket and basket and returned to Stacie's car.

* * *

"Rock climbing?" Aubrey's green eyes were sparkling. "We're seriously going rock climbing?"

"Yep. And better than _just_ rock climbing. We, my dear, have lessons with a private instructor."

Aubrey turned in the car to face Stacie. "You are going to climb with me, right?" Stacie nodded. "Oh babe, you are in so much trouble. Just wait until you find out how competitive I am." She leapt out of the car, not waiting on Stacie to open her door this time.

"What makes you think I didn't already know?" Stacie muttered to herself.

After changing clothes, both women met with their instructor who explained what all they'd cover in the beginner rock climbing course. "I understand that you," she pointed to Stacie, "work for APD. Thank you for your public service in protecting our city. I'm honored you have chosen our gym to gain the knowledge and skills to take your rock climbing to the next level."

"We will also work simultaneously on top rope belay. You'll learn all the proper knots for tying in, safety checks, and top rope belay techniques. The communication you learn will be crucial in keeping each other safe on the courses. Once you both are certified in belay, you will be able to practice with each other without the need of an experienced belayer."

While the instructor was explaining basic safety, Stacie could not keep her eyes off Aubrey. Yes, she had seen the woman naked, very naked the night of their first date. But seeing the long-legged blonde in her tight spandex left little room for her imagination. After the stamina displayed during their long night together, Stacie knew she'd be more than fit enough for this activity.

Aubrey caught the brunette gawking at her body and shoulder-checked her. "Pay attention creeper." She sent Stacie a sideways grin.

After three hours of climbing, both women were exhausted as they lay on the mat in front of the climbing walls they had used that day. "I. Can't. Move." Stacie panted.

"That was incredible. I discovered muscles I never knew I had." Aubrey struggled to her feet and pulled her girlfriend up and into her chest. "I hate to tell you Stacie, but I think I just found a hobby to keep me occupied while you are in school."

Thinking about how much more muscle tone that would add to the blonde made Stacie's knees quiver. Aubrey was already fit and toned, and more of the same would be just icing on the cake. "Come on, let's go shower."

* * *

After a quick shower at the gym, the couple headed back to Aubrey's house where they had been spending most of their free time. She had an extra-long, oversized couch that Stacie adored because they could fit on it together comfortably.

Stacie brought in the picnic basket and properly stored the leftover food that needed refrigeration. She pulled a tall glass bottle of chilled water from the fridge and went to sit on the couch cross-legged facing Aubrey. The blonde stretched her legs out over Stacie's legs and relaxed back against the arm of the couch as she sipped on the water.

The brunette reached for a bottle of lotion that happened to be lying next to the couch and squeezed a dab into each hand, rubbing her hands together to warm the liquid. She then took one of Aubrey's feet in each hand and began to gently rub the lotion into her skin. When Aubrey's eyes rolled back in her head, Stacie continued up her legs to work on the sore muscles in her girlfriend's legs.

"I'll give you exactly two hours to stop that," Aubrey moaned. "Feels amazing." She simply let her body melt into the couch and enjoyed the gentle leg massage. Stacie, on the other hand, wasn't quite so relaxed. As she watched the blonde get into the leg rubs, her mind kept going back to the rock gym. Just the vision of Aubrey's arm muscles and abs as she climbed up the wall made her salivate. _God those abs._

After a respectable time of massaging her girlfriend's legs, Stacie couldn't hold herself back any longer. She slowly scooted the blonde down on the couch some and straddled her. After their shower at the gym, Aubrey had donned a soft cotton t-shirt. Stacie lifted the clothing and began kissing her girlfriend's stomach.

"Today. Was. So. Sexy." Stacie emphasized each word with a kiss as she worked her way up the long torso that was beneath her, stopping to give special attention to various places on Aubrey's body, particularly the ones she had admired at the gym. "You, my dear, are a sight to watch."

Aubrey reached up, dug her fingers gently into Stacie's back and pulled her down to lie fully on top of her, bringing her face down so she could kiss Stacie softly. "Mmmm," she moaned softly. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of this Stace. Of you."

Smiling through the kiss, Stacie responded, "I sure hope not."

* * *

Beca was spending more and more time in her music room, always with her headphones on it seemed. Chloe was pleased the Beca was getting back into her music. Her moods had also improved, and she was seemingly getting back to herself. One day she came home early and heard new noises coming from Beca's office. She walked to the door to see Beca with an acoustic guitar tucked under her arm trying to use a pick wedged in between the fingers of her casted hand. "Fuck!" She leaned down to pick up the small piece of plastic she had been trying to manipulate on the guitar strings.

"Hey babe."

Beca's head snapped up, surprised to see the redhead home. "You're early." She got up and started to hang the guitar on the wall.

"Guitar not working out so well, mmm?"

"No! It's this damned cast. I've been working on this song. But it needs to have, _has to_ have guitar. There's no way around it. My piano will play electric guitar, but it doesn't give me the sound I'm looking for, the sound I need." She lightly beat her head on her wrist. "This fucking cast has got to go."

Chloe could tell Beca's frustration level was about maxed out. "You've made such good strides in your recovery; I don't want you to backslide. Babe, I know this is your music and all. But if it's important for you to get a finished sound on your song, I have a buddy that is a strings instructor at one of the middle schools. He plays a killer guitar; I'd trust him with my life. Maybe he could help?" She had never asked Beca to hear her music other than the one song she'd played that first time, so she knew this was taking a chance, getting Beca to share her music with a complete stranger.

"Really? You trust him?" Chloe nodded. "Can you call and ask? I'll pay him. I really want to hear a finished version of this song. I can re-record it later when my wrist is healed."

When the redhead made arrangements for her friend to work with Beca the next day, her girlfriend surprisingly banned her from the house. "Spend the day with Aubrey. Better yet, take a spa day on me. She'll love you for it. Plus, after hearing Stacie talk about their afternoon rock climbing yesterday, I'm sure she's in need of some pampering."

Chloe chuckled. "I'm sure Stacie gave her plenty of special attention already."

* * *

Aubrey and Chloe spent a long day getting pampered, relaxing, and catching up with each other. Usually time spent would be with both couples together, so spending time just the two friends was becoming a rarity. "Chloe, she is amazing… and so thoughtful. I mean, the physical part blows my mind – yeah. But the emotional part… that's so much more. She goes to great lengths to make sure I know she's always thinking of me.'

Chloe learned that the tall police officer brought fresh flowers to Aubrey's every Saturday morning, a different combination every time. "I keep finding little things around my house and in my purse when I go to work – like notes and small gifts. She's really making it hard to not fall in love with her."

The redhead looked at her best friend and asked, "Why the hell are you fighting it then?"

Aubrey took a deep breath. "I don't know Chlo. I want her to be the one. She's so perfect. But… what about…" She stopped mid-sentence and was quiet for a bit. "Does this mean I'm gay? What about my father? How's he going to react? It's just all so much."

Chloe wrapped her arms around her best friend. "You love who you love sweetie. You'll figure it out Aubrey. Just take things day by day and enjoy the ride."

* * *

After her day with Aubrey, Chloe returned home to find Beca cooking dinner – happy as a clam. She'd gotten better manipulating things with her casted arm. "So?" Chloe asked as curiosity was about to kill her. "How'd it go?"

"Your friend is amazing ladybug. I initially wanted to record myself strumming the strings after getting this taken off," she waved her casted arm around. "But I may just leave it as is." She shrugged and turned back to the stove to keep cooking not saying anything else about the session.

Chloe was getting quite good at not pushing Beca past her comfort zones. She knew that Beca would share in her own good time. She helped Beca with the more difficult parts of the meal preparation that the tiny cop's cast interfered with, and soon they sat down to enjoy their meal.

"Dinner is amazing Beca, as always." Chloe was always amazed at the food that Beca could cook, even handicapped by the plaster contraption on her wrist. The redhead cleaned up the kitchen then went to join her girlfriend on the couch.

"Want to hear what I've been working on?"

Chloe's eyes lit up. "Yes, yes, yes, yes." She wiggled in her seat. She knew her patience would pay off by Beca sharing the song on her own volition.

Beca pulled a thumb drive from her pocket, got up, and slipped it into the sound system. As she pushed play, a simple guitar rhythm started followed quickly by Beca's clear voice.

 _Taking it slowly/I'm afraid to be lonely/Nobody told me  
_ _It's harder than I thought to tell the truth/It's gonna leave you in pieces  
_ _All alone with your demons/And I know that we need this/But I've been too afraid to follow through  
_ _…  
_ _Hold me close and I won't leave/'Cause it hurts when you hurt somebody  
_ _So much to say but I don't speak/And I hate that I let you stop me/'Cause it hurts when you hurt somebody  
_ _…_

By the time the song finished, Chloe was openly crying. "Hey, hey now. You aren't supposed to cry. Chlo, please don't cry. You keep telling me that music is supposed to make me happy. That goes for you, too. I haven't spent the last few weeks on this song for tears." Chloe threw her arms around Beca and squeezed as tight as she could with her head buried in the brunette's shoulder. They sat this way for a bit while Chloe processed the song. "For now, I call it _For Chloe."_

Eventually Chloe found her words through her tears. "That was amazing Becs. And I will always hold you close and I'll never let you leave." After they sat there for a little longer, Chloe spoke again. "You were right. The guitar was the perfect instrument for that. You have such untapped, raw talent. I'm so proud of you."

"Well I was frustrated because of the cast and I … just needed to hear what the song sounded like finished. Thank Josh again for me."

* * *

 _Hurt Somebody  
_ Noah Kahland & Julia Michaels

* * *

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* * *

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	11. Getting Ready for Duty

After countless office visits and x-rays, the doctor finally removed Beca's cast. Her arm was withered from lack of use, and her skin pale and chalky. "So how long does this chunk of metal stay inside of me doc?" Beca traced the scar left on the inside of her wrist.

The doctor explained that oftentimes metal plates and screws are left in the patient's body. "Your bones are completely healed. Then the question becomes 'do we want to risk another surgery'? Let's see how you respond to therapy and make decisions from there. We can probably leave the metal in there unless the screws start to cause a problem."

Her hand was weak and ghastly looking, especially with the scar that snaked along the underside of her wrist where the titanium had been inserted so many weeks before. She tried to cope the best she could and even maintained her humor by naming her scar "Igor". Occupational therapy visits were scheduled along with Beca's regular therapy. She was working her hardest at getting back on the streets and to the job she loved. The physical therapy was exhausting but made her feel as though she was making strides physically with her wrist while regular therapy was slowly healing her mind.

* * *

Now that Special Operations training was in full gear, Stacie was incredibly busy. This left Aubrey with a lot of spare time on her hands which she chose to spend with her best friend. She also spent a lot of time with Beca on the range working on her non-dominant hand shooting. The tiny cop still couldn't shoot with her right hand until her occupational therapist deemed the muscles properly formed enough to handle shooting again.

Chloe was always invited to join them when they went practicing, but the redhead thought this time was best spent with just Aubrey and Beca. She knew that spending time with Beca helped Aubrey somehow feel closer to Stacie. While Aubrey would never admit this, Chloe was her best friend after all and knew her fairly well.

Aubrey also snuck in one-on-one time with her best friend by convincing Chloe to join her every so often at the rock climbing gym. The redhead was amazingly nimble and caught on quickly. Aubrey was pleased that she had someone with whom to share her new pastime while Stacie was occupied with work.

Since training kept the taller police officer's schedule harried, Stacie spent as much time as possible with her blonde girlfriend. However, much of that time was spent either studying and working out. Aubrey always got up well before dawn with her long-legged girlfriend, and they would run at least five miles together before Stacie would hit the books or head to class. However, no matter how busy Stacie got, some things stayed consistent. She brought Aubrey fresh flowers every Saturday morning and dedicated every minute of her spare time to making her happy. As much as the blonde missed her girlfriend, this had to be enough for now.

* * *

"How did it go at the range today babe?" Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca's shoulders as she sat on the couch.

"Mmm," Beca murmured without commitment. Chloe leaned down and ran her teeth along her girlfriend's neck. The cop shrugged her shoulders but didn't quite move away from the lips causing the shivers to run down her arms.

"Becs, come on. I've waited all day to hear. How did requalification go?" Beca had worked relentlessly at physical therapy and had finally been cleared by her occupational therapist to return to shooting with her right hand along with other street readiness activities. She and Aubrey had been hitting the range non-stop because Beca claimed 'your Nazi friend is better than all our instructors'.

Beca grasped Chloe's elbows and gently pulled her closer to her face. "Oh, you know, I passed with flying colors," Beca said nonchalantly. She reached around to kiss her girlfriend. "With both hands." Chloe let out a shrill squeal as Beca clapped her hands over her ears. "It's not _that_ exciting Chlo. I just decided that while I was at the range, I might as well take a shot, literally, with my left hand. The range master thought I was crazy… that is until I did it." Beca was trying to play it cool but was failing miserably. She was tickled at the success of the day.

"I. Am. So. Proud. Of. You. This calls for a celebratory dinner." Chloe was spinning around in circles and clapping her hands.

Beca turned around on the couch to face Chloe, kneeling on her knees and kissed her girlfriend again. "Hey ladybug, can we invite Aubrey and Stacie to this dinner? I think Stacie has a night off for once. And, I mean, if it weren't for Bree, I wouldn't have been able to do this. Hell, I think she saved me emotionally, too."

Chloe knew that her blonde best friend and Beca had grown quite close throughout this entire ordeal and was happy to know Beca was acknowledging Aubrey's part in her recovery. "Of course, sweetie. I'll call them now."

"Oh and … don't share the news. I want to do that at dinner."

* * *

Stacie was more than delighted to take an evening off from studying when Beca asked her and Aubrey to dinner. While Aubrey had been spending a great deal of time with the other couple, she personally missed her best friend. They made plans to eat at a new barbeque joint Stacie had heard about from the guys in her class.

When they arrived, their picnic-type table was quickly filled with an assortment of meats and sides for everyone to share along with beers all around. Even Aubrey was drinking beer because "drinking wine with barbeque doesn't seem quite right". Any outsider watching the two couples would be able to instantly tell how close friends they were as they laughed and visited about every topic under the sun.

Stacie hadn't had much to drink the past few months and was quickly getting tipsy after only a few beers. She began bragging on her girlfriend's adventures at the rock climbing gym. "Show them baby. Please? Just show them." Stacie was drunkenly pulling at Aubrey's shirt, trying to lift it up. "Becs, you need to see these abs my woman has. Makes me melt."

Chloe was beginning get embarrassed for her prim and proper best friend until the blonde finally stood up and lifted her shirt. She flexed and displayed a pretty impressive set of abdominal muscles. The redhead's mouth dropped open at how brazen her best friend had become. Stacie patted her girlfriend's stomach and exclaimed, "And this, my friend, is what two months of rock climbing will get you." Aubrey smiled sheepishly, lowered her shirt, and took a seat.

The redhead went back up to the counter and got an assortment of cobblers and pies for the table to share as things were beginning to wind down for the evening. As she put the tray on the table, she looked at Beca who nodded. "Oh, Beca has something for you Bree," she chirped.

The shorter brunette slid an envelope across the table to Aubrey. "It's not much, but I think you could use it."

Confused, the blonde opened the envelope and pulled out the certificate. Stacie leaned over to put her head on her girlfriend's shoulder so she could see the present. "Beca?"

"I told you it's not much. Just a weekend stay-cation downtown next time Stacie has a full weekend off. I guessed you two would enjoy some alone time in a nice hotel. There are some couples-spa vouchers in there, too."

"Wow, ummm this is appreciated Beca. But… why?"

Beca grinned and looked at Chloe. "Oh, it's just a small thank you."

"For?" Aubrey was so confused.

"Oops, I guess I forgot to mention that I scored Expert Marksman today on my requalification test. With. Both. Hands."

Aubrey about fell getting out of the picnic table and raced around to throw her arms around the tiny cop. "That is incredible news Beca. I am so proud of you."

"I could have never done it without you Bree. So again, thanks."

"Yes, thank you. And you also brought my Beca back to me." Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes as she gave her best friend a hug.

Stacie looked at how her best friend was interacting with her blonde girlfriend. Things sure had changed since she had started classes, but she was happy that Beca had finally found some people with whom she could she could open up and be herself. She didn't trust her words with the amount of alcohol she had drank, so she just reached over the table to give her old partner a fist bump.

* * *

The tiny cop burst through the exit of the simulator, ripping off her VR headset before she collapsed on the ground outside the building. She leaned up against the wall, panting not only from the heat as well but also from the emotions brought on by the assessment. While she had faith in her shooting at firearms requalification, simulator training was so much more serious since the experiences involved real circumstances mimicking life or death situations. The intensity was mind-blowing.

As the other officers involved in the simulator finished, they milled around talking shop. Eventually the field training officers gathered everyone to distribute the results. "Foster – Pass, Smith – Recycle, Franks – Pass, Mitchell – Pass, Gann – Recycle…"

The list droned on. Beca didn't hear much past the announcement that she passed. Afterwards, she hung out until most of the other officers had cleared out. She approached the main FTO. "Sergeant Akins, sir. May I talk to you?"

"Sure Mitchell, what's up? Congrats by the way on your pass today. I heard what you went through. Many people don't make it back from something like that."

She acknowledged what he said before asking her question. "Is it possible to find out my score in simulator training?"

"Mitchell, you know that it's pass/fail only. The scores are destroyed as soon as simulation is over."

"But sir…"

"No buts Mitchell. The simulation is pass/fail only. There are reasons behind that rule." He saw the dejected look on the small officer's face. "Let me ask you a question Mitchell. Do you know what they call the person who graduates dead last in their class in medical school?"

Confused, Beca shook her head. "No sir, what?"

"Doctor." With that the sergeant finished packing his bag and turned to leave. "Good work today Mitchell. I'll be glad when you are back on the street."

* * *

Since Beca had physically qualified for duty – both in firearms and simulation, she was allowed back in uniform and to wear her weapon. She had yet to be cleared by her therapist, so she was still restricted to desk duty. Truth be told, Beca was glad that she was still blocked from going on the street. While she was glad to be wearing the uniform again, something seemed off.

"Something's not right Lyla. I love wearing the uniform; don't get me wrong. I just don't _feel_ safe. I'm still angry at my sergeant at this happening because I couldn't disobey a direct order. I've passed all the physical exams and qualifications. I know I can do the job, but sometimes the doubt starts to creep in, and I know that's when things get dangerous. Mentally, I'm just not there. When push comes to shove, I honestly don't think I can get back to the street and safely serve the citizens of this city. Too much has changed."

"Beca sometimes this happens, particularly after such a traumatic event. You not only shattered your wrist, but you flew off a two-story balcony. That's not a minor experience. As we talked about earlier, I feel strongly that you suffer from PTSD. It is not uncommon for police officers to go through this in situations like this – much like officers involved in shootings. Have you talked to Chloe about how you feel?"

"Not yet."

"I think you should. She's good for you Beca, supportive." Lyla laid out some options for Beca and sent her home to talk to her girlfriend.

* * *

"Hey Chloe, I have something we need to discuss." The brunette was sitting in the living room trying to work up the nerve to approach her girlfriend about the conversation she had with her therapist.

The redhead sat next to Beca on the couch and tucked her legs beneath her. "What's up baby?" She reached over to tuck brown strands of hair behind her girlfriend's ear.

"Lyla said I needed to talk to you. She says you ground me." When she heard that, Chloe knew things were serious and scooted closer. She took a deep, calming breath before continuing. "I'm thinking about taking early retirement from the department for medical reasons because of my wrist and mental because of the PTSD." She looked her girlfriend with tears streaming down her face. "I have never felt this weak before babe."

The redhead wrapped her arms around the shorter woman. "You… are not weak. You are one of the strongest people I know Beca. I love you so much. If early disability retirement is what you want to do, what you _need_ to do, then I support you whole-heartedly. I don't know what the department will pay out, but we will make do as long as needed. I love you so incredibly much. There is nothing to worry about."

Feeling better knowing she had Chloe's unconditional support, Beca kissed her girlfriend gently and leaned her forehead against the redhead's. "That's not necessary ladybug. Remember that apartment I used to live in free of charge?" Chloe nodded. "Yeah well I didn't just blow all that money. I've got almost five years of rent and bill money in savings. So, I think we're good."

* * *

Lyla referred Beca to another psychologist who certified her PTSD status and the paperwork was processed for early retirement aka disability. Because of the PTSD along with the titanium plate and screws still embedded in her wrist, she qualified for well over half of her monthly pension. While Beca would still rather be on the force, at least she was getting some compensation for the messed-up bullshit she went through.

Stacie threw her a small party comprised of colleagues and close friends. While this event was not one to celebrate, some people did need the closure as Beca was a quite popular officer on the force. Also, Chloe enjoyed hearing the stories that the other officers shared about her girlfriend, particularly those that Beca had never told.

The respect the other officers had for Beca was obvious even with their teasing nature. "Remember that night we were chasing that gang banger that stole that Chevy truck?" Several of the guys started laughing to the point where they couldn't speak.

"The dude crashed the truck and took off across the six-lane road. There were like five of us who took off chasing him," he motioned around to some of the larger men, "and Beca – our little munchkin here. So we haul ass after him, right? Dodging in and out of cars zipping back and forth on that road."

Another guy interrupted. "Suddenly the cars were magically screeching to a halt, and we realized that this tiny cop here," he motioned to Beca, "was now running across the road in front of us with this huge ass shotgun. That was what it took to get the drivers' attention." Everyone laughed as they imagined the short officer stopping traffic with that shotgun.

Even Beca joined in the humor. "Shotguns should be standard issue for every officer shorter than five feet, five inches." The relief brought on by actually being able to have that closure for her career in the Atlanta Police Department helped Beca be confident that she had made the correct decision in retiring.

* * *

In the days and weeks after the paperwork had been finalized, Beca's mood could not have been better. Her mind was sharp and her focus clearer than it had been since she'd been hurt. While she wasn't quite sure what direction her life would now take, she felt empowered to tackle those decisions when they came up. While not as often, she did continue to see Lyla on a regular basis to make sure major issues did not resurface.

Beca took advantage of her now open schedule to spend time working with Chloe's music students with their piano lessons. The redhead was impressed at how well her girlfriend worked with the children. The school principal was thankful for the advanced lessons which were accelerating students' progress.

In addition, she also spent a lot of time in her own music room writing songs and composing music. Beca pulled out a lot of her original music from her college years as she slowly revived her love of the craft. The tiny ex-cop also spent time at Josh's middle school providing private guitar lessons for some of his students who couldn't afford them outside of school hours. Once students were adept at reading music, she often used her original work to see how the young students did with unfamiliar works. The students really enjoyed being able to play songs nobody had heard before.

* * *

As the end of the school year arrived, Chloe's students sadly said goodbye to their teacher for the summer months. Beca gave them some tips and exercises to try to keep their musical minds sharp over the break. The brunette also went by the middle school to say farewell to her guitar students. One of the girls shyly grabbed her hand and led her to the middle of the room and asked her to close her eyes and hold out her hands.

Beca complied and felt a familiar shaped weight being placed in her hands. When she opened her eyes, she immediately had to fight the tears that sprang forth. Her favorite student told her that they had found an old guitar that had a badly water damaged body. One of the parents had separated the front from the body and sanded it down to the wood. Each of her students had written a personal message to their tutor on the guitar front then had it re-shellacked.

She hugged each student in turn as she read the words written. "Kids, this is an amazing present. I have a music room at my house, and I know exactly where I'm going to hang this. You guys are awesome, and I'm glad you let me be a part of your school year."

Many parents had already approached Beca about giving private lessons over the summer months; however, Beca turned them down. So much turmoil had gone on during the school year, she really wanted to spend some quality time with Chloe while they both had unlimited free time. But one thing was certain, Chloe was right – teaching was quite a rewarding profession.

* * *

.

* * *

 **There is a movement on AO3 called the _LLF Comment Project_. It's a little more difficult to do here, but I'm going to try anyway. This story is part of th _e LLF Comment Project,_ which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:**

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	12. Coming Out to Daddy

Aubrey didn't even realize that her daddy knew how to FaceTime when her phone started to ring with his face showing. Just seeing him on her screen caused her stomach to involuntarily clench. Her relationship with her father was spotty at best. She quickly calmed her nerves and put a smile on her face before she answered the phone.

"Daddy! Wow, aren't you moving into the twenty-first century? FaceTime? Fancy, fancy." She managed to keep her voice chipper and her rolling stomach somewhat calm.

"Hi precious. I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."

"There's never a bad time to talk to my favorite daddy." Aubrey had always craved her father's attention since she was a young girl because he was deployed away from home for such long periods. Yet his presence still made her nervous, even if by phone. His expectations of her were always high in everything she did.

"How about dinner then? I'm going to be in town tomorrow and thought maybe I could take my princess to eat."

"Ummm sure Daddy. I'd love to see you." Thoughts began crashing through Aubrey's mind like a car colliding into a freight train. Normally she would avoid any conflict where her father was concerned, so what she said next seemed to kind of slip out. "There's someone I'd like you to meet Daddy."

His eyes were sparkling as his voice got a sing-song tone about it. "Oh, my baby has a gentleman suitor? And what's his name?"

Aubrey cringed at the pronoun usage but answered anyway. "Stacie."

"And what does this Stacy do? I hope he has an honorable profession, one worthy of my little girl." Aubrey's father's smile was broad as he only wanted the best for his only daughter.

"Police officer, training for special operations Daddy. But…" She felt like she was going to choke on her words as bile began to rise in her throat. "Stacie isn't a he; Stacie's a she. I'm dating a woman." She waited for the repercussions of what she had just told her father, expecting the worse. Silence – or even outright rejection.

"Oh, I see." He was quiet, considering what his daughter had said for quite some time, then narrowed his eyebrows. "Bring her along then princess. It'll be a pleasure to meet this woman. She still has to pass muster to get my approval though." His face displayed a true smile which somewhat relaxed the high-strung blonde. The father and daughter settled on a time, Aubrey gave him her address, ended the call.

After putting down her phone, Aubrey rushed to the kitchen sink and began splashing cold water on her face. Stacie came out of the bedroom, "Hon, were you on the phone?" She saw her girlfriend's pale face and rushed over. "Bree baby, what's wrong?"

Aubrey shook her head and motioned to give her a moment to calm her nerves. She was choking back bile from the conversation she just had with her father. Stacie guided her to have a seat on the couch, brought her a glass of water, and waited until the blonde was ready to talk.

"I think I just came out to Daddy."

* * *

When Stacie arrived the next afternoon to meet General Posen for dinner, she found her girlfriend a wreck. She could tell Aubrey had been pacing about the house, her nerves about to get the best of her. "Babe, it's going to be okay. I'm right here, and I'm not leaving your side."

Aubrey swallowed, trying to fight the rolling of her stomach she'd been facing all day. "That's just it. What if he hates you Stacie? I couldn't handle that." Aubrey was almost whining. "I can't deal with this. All my life the only thing I wanted was my daddy's approval, his affections. I … ugh…"

Knowing there wasn't much she could do to ease Aubrey's pain, Stacie grabbed the blonde's iPad and connected to Chloe. "She's flipping out Chloe. Can you talk her through this please?" She carried the device to the blonde. "Hey, I have someone who wants to talk to you."

Seeing her best friend's face made Aubrey burst into tears again. "Chloooooeeeeeeeeeee, what have I done?"

"Bree, shhhhh it's going to be okay. What you've done is the hardest thing you'll ever face in your life – you told your daddy about the woman you love. And today, he's going to meet her; he's going to see how happy she makes you. There is no way he can be anything but supportive. I know you didn't have it easy growing up, but he loves you Aubrey. He's the only daddy you have, and you are his only princess – his favorite princess."

Her best friend's words were slowly calming Aubrey down. "Now stop the tears. You are going to have to completely redo your make up." Chloe giggled then glanced behind her friend. "Oh my god Aubrey, what are those beautiful flowers behind you? May I see them?"

Confused Aubrey turned and saw, for the first time, the flowers Stacie had brought her today. There were gorgeous purple tulips surrounded by soft pink roses and white, larger fluffy flowers. "Oh Bree, those are so you."

Stacie walked into the camera frame and wrapped her arms around Aubrey's shoulders. "They are stunning, aren't they? Just like my girlfriend."

Aubrey placed her hand on Stacie's arm and squeezed. "Thanks for talking me down Chlo. You always know the perfect words to say. I need to go fix my makeup before Daddy gets here. I'll fill you in later." After disconnecting the call, she turned to her girlfriend and smiled shyly. "I didn't even see you bring those in. Thank you so much. They are beautiful."

"Only the best for you. Your father likes lime Topo Chico, right? There's a six-pack of the glass bottles in the fridge. I figured I'd pull out all the stops to make a good impression." She followed a much calmer Aubrey into the bathroom where the blonde was reapplying her makeup. "Hey – Chloe said something I want to ask you about."

"Mmmm?" She puckered her lips and reapplied her soft pink lipstick.

"She said that you told your daddy about the woman you love." When Aubrey didn't respond, Stacie feared she was going to flip out again. She wrapped her arms tightly around the blonde and didn't speak for a bit.

Aubrey twisted her torso around to face the brunette and held her face in her hands. She pressed her freshly painted lips against Stacie's and smiled. "Yes Stacie, I told my daddy about the woman I love." With that she turned around and began to work on her make up again.

Stacie thought about this for a few moments then gave a crooked smile as she looked at the blonde over her shoulder in the mirror. "Okay then Bree. I'll let you in on a little secret then. I love you, too."

* * *

While she had calmed down a great deal, Stacie could tell that Aubrey was still a bit antsy about her father's visit. She held back when the doorbell rang so that the blonde could greet her father alone. When her girlfriend led the tall, fit man into the living room, Stacie stood and offered her hand to the general.

"Sir, it's a pleasure to meet you. May I offer you something to drink? We have tea, coffee, or I took the liberty of getting some of the lime mineral water Aubrey says you are so fond of." General Posen raised an eyebrow at his daughter as Stacie went to retrieve the drinks. She knew Aubrey would be needing the fizzy Topo Chico to settle her stomach.

After catching his daughter up with how her mother was doing, Aubrey's father immediately began interrogating Stacie. He asked her endless questions about her job, how she got started in police work and all about the special operations training she was currently going through. Luckily Stacie was quite confident in matters related to work so she was not intimidated by the questioning. She then told him how Aubrey had taken her best friend to the range with a busted wrist and forced her to learn to shoot with her left hand. "Your daughter did such an excellent job that, after Beca got her cast off, she actually qualified with both hands!"

General Posen looked at his daughter proudly and patted her on the knee. "This one has always been a good shot… and a good teacher as well." Aubrey was just beaming at the praise. She couldn't be much happier.

The trio continued their conversations throughout the dinner. General Posen's daughter was more relaxed than she ever remembered being around her father. She attributed this to the tall brunette sitting to her right. Never in her wildest imagination would she believed that coming out to her father would lead to introducing him to her girlfriend and end up in a perfect dinner.

"I'm impressed you've stood up to my many questions Stacie." The dark-haired woman nodded as her girlfriend's father spoke. "I won't even ask you of your intentions with my daughter. How the two of you feel for each other is clear; I can see it with my own eyes. All I can do is be thankful that she has you in her life."

"I feel fortunate General Posen. Aubrey is a lovely woman, and my feelings for her run deep."

Aubrey's father smiled at his daughter's girlfriend. "I do have one last question Ms. Conrad." Aubrey suddenly got nervous. "When is graduation?"

"Two weeks sir, granted I pass my exams."

* * *

"Oh my God Chloe, I'm floored by Daddy's response to Stacie. He absolutely loved her!" Aubrey had been gushing since she and her best friend met up for lunch.

"What's not to love Aubrey? I mean, you are his only daughter, and he loves you. I'm sure there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she makes you happy."

"You… you just don't understand. Well maybe you do. You know I've always longed for his approval. I hadn't planned on telling him about her; it just happened. But now, I'm glad it did because I could have never dreamed he would accept me wholeheartedly."

Chloe was truly delighted for her best friend. She felt that as much as she had met her soulmate in Beca Mitchell that her best friend had met her soulmate in Stacie Conrad.

* * *

Two weeks went by, and Stacie received notification that she had passed all her exams. The only thing left was graduation. As the trio dropped Stacie off early at graduation, Stacie was threatening Beca. "You will not embarrass me like you did at the Academy munchkin."

"I make no promises Conrad. I'm proud of you, even if you do call me names." She teasingly stuck her tongue out at her tall friend.

The three remaining women found parking and made their way into the facility to watch the tall officer graduate from the Special Operations Academy. It wasn't quite time for the ceremony to begin, so they milled around. Beca knew many of the people from her time on the force. Some knew of her retirement while it was news to others.

The ceremony was not a long one, but it came with one tremendous surprise. Stacie had not bothered to tell them that she had scored either first or second on every single exam and qualification test. Overall, she graduated top of her class. Aubrey leaned over to Chloe to whisper, "She always worked her ass off studying, but even I had no clue!" She was incredibly proud of her girlfriend despite wanting to choke her for not letting them know her ranking before the ceremony.

Afterwards, the graduates got their chance to mingle with the people who attended the ceremony. The trio held back a bit to let Stacie finish talking to all the people who were congratulating her. Eventually the tall newly graduated special operations officer made her way back to her friends. "Why didn't you tell us?" Aubrey playfully swatted her girlfriend on the chest.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. Surprise! General Posen said you'd like it better than just telling you outright."

"Daddy knew? Stacie, how?"

"Ummm I told him?" She laughed and explained that Aubrey's father had planned on attending her graduation, but something came up. "I didn't even think he'd remember about my graduation. Anyway, he sends his love. Oh, and dinner is on General Posen tonight! He called it a graduation present."

* * *

The friends were all celebrating at a casual place Stacie had picked out since she was the guest of honor. Since the pressures of school were finally over, Stacie really wanted to just relax. Having everyone together as a group again felt good. After dessert was finished, Chloe announced it was time for gifts. She gave Stacie an envelope with a piece of paper inside. "It was kinda large to bring."

Stacie pulled out the paper to discover it was a photograph of a large wrought iron decorative badge with a blue strip across the middle with her last name printed in black. "The thin blue line. I like it. Thanks Chlo, Becs."

Aubrey was nervous when she handed her girlfriend a small wrapped box. Stacie beamed at her as she tenderly kissed her on the cheek. "It's going to be perfect Bree," she reassured her uptight girlfriend. "No matter what it is." Stacie unwrapped the box and found a thick silver rectangular keychain with rounded edges. There was a die cast hole of a badge cut out at the bottom. On the surface was engraved the words, _Always come home to me, Aubrey._ Stacie rubbed her fingers across the engraving and smiled at the blonde. "I love it babe."

Aubrey smiled shyly. "There's more." The blonde then showed her the other piece, the missing badge cut-out which was already hanging on her own keyring. This small silver badge had Stacie's badge number beautifully engraved. Stacie wrapped her arms around her girlfriend as tears welled up in her eyes. "I make this promise to you – to always do my best to come home to you."

* * *

Stacie's new job was interesting to say the least. She had settled on the Special Events Permits division which oversaw a wide arrange of things from parades to protection for visiting dignitaries. They also provided additional support on SWAT warrant raids. Her duties were broad and varied but she welcomed the new job responsibilities as they helped the city function in a safer, more organized way.

Her daily uniform was now black camo-style BDU's. She had three times more gear than she thought she'd possibly ever need, but each piece had a use. Stacie spent time each weekend checking and repacking her duffle that always stood at the ready. Aubrey had watched so often that she had faith that she, herself, could bundle the tall brunette's gear as well as her girlfriend.

Her daily gear was also more than she wore as a patrol officer. Since she was constantly on-call, organizing her day-to-day gear was becoming problematic. One evening when she came home, well to Aubrey's house, there was a large, lumpy wrapped gift standing in the foyer. "Bree, I'm home."

Aubrey met Stacie and gave her girlfriend a brief kiss while the brunette started to take off her gear. The blonde gently held her wrists. "Wait a minute babe. I have a present for you." She motioned to the odd present in the corner.

"You don't have t…"

"Stop it Stacie. You do so many special things for me. Let me do this, okay?"

Stacie grinned as she pulled the paper off. The puzzled expression on her face let Aubrey know she did well in her surprise. "It's a storage unit of sorts. Allow me to demonstrate." Aubrey giggled at the cleverness of her present. "Your vest please." She held out her hand as Stacie ripped the Velcro straps loose on her vest and pulled it over her head. Aubrey pulled a dowel rod from the front of the unit, slipped the vest over the dowel and positioned the pole back into the unit so that vest hung in the middle.

She opened the small cabinet doors and pulled out a lockbox which had keys hanging from it. Stacie removed her service weapon from her holster, ejected the magazine, and cleared the chamber. After Stacie's gun was safely locked away, Aubrey hung the gun belt on part of the rod sticking out from one side and her uniform shirt on the other side. Every item had a special place; it was quite an ingenious idea since it was organized in a way where she could get dressed in a hurry should she be called to duty.

Stacie picked up Aubrey and swung her around a few times. "Hon, this is the best. I'm going to take a picture to show the guys at work. Thank you, babe. This is an awesome idea. I gotta get one for my apartment now."

The blonde took her girlfriend's hands in hers and pulled her close to give her a kiss. "That's something else I wanted to talk to you about. I don't think you need one of these for your apartment."

"But it's so cool Bree. Please?" Stacie stuck her lower lip out in a fake pout.

Aubrey was getting nervous which confused Stacie. "I don't think you need one at your apartment… because… what if you didn't have an apartment?" Stacie looked at her with a odd expression on her face. "I thought, maybe, that you might want to move in here." Stacie was quiet, and Aubrey doesn't do well with quietness. "With me?"

A huge grin spread across the tall police officer's face. "Well who else would live here if not you? Of course, I'll move in with you. Nothing would make me happier."

"It only makes sense babe. You are rarely at your apartment anyway, and if you moved in here – I could see you every night you aren't working. It also makes sense financially; I mean why should you keep paying rent for a place you don't stay at." Aubrey was anxiously rattling away, her nerves through strongly.

Stacie wrapped her arms around the sexy blonde. "Shhhh, come here Bree. I don't think you heard me. I said nothing would make me happier than moving in with you. For all of the reasons you mentioned plus, well, I adore you and am ready to take our relationship to the next level."

She pressed her lips against Aubrey's effectively stopping the blonde from fretting about what she had asked. Her words came out achingly, longingly as she reached up to cup Aubrey's face with both hands. The pair slowly backed up until Aubrey's back pressed against the door jamb as they continued the languid kiss. After what seemed like forever, Stacie slowly broke the kiss to look at her girlfriend. Aubrey's head was resting against door frame with her eyes closed.

Without warning, Aubrey's hands slid from Stacie's waist where they had earlier come to a rest to her shoulders. She pulled Stacie to her roughly and kissed her. Hard. Stacie's tongue deftly slipped against Aubrey's lips as the blonde responded in kind, opening her mouth for Stacie – allowing their tongues to intertwine. Aubrey moaned, sucking Stacie's bottom lip into her mouth.

Without breaking the fevered kiss, Aubrey back-pedaled, pulling Stacie with her into the bedroom. She made quick work of the officer's remaining clothing along with her own. Stacie found herself being pushed onto the bed with Aubrey's naked body pressed atop hers.

After quite some time, the women lay in the twisted sheets, spent. Both of their breaths were labored and chests heaving. As their bodies returned to a normal state, Stacie looked at Aubrey and grinned.

"Consider it settled. I'll put in my notice at the apartment."

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you to a reviewer who let me know that I did misstate a fact. Beca (aka A.K.) is indeed a lefty. I totally dropped the research ball on that one. Mea culpa. I do try to be as true to form as possible. my apologies! Thanks again.**


	13. Perks of the Job

One particular afternoon, Stacie was assigned to a fundraiser for a high profile political candidate. Many dignitaries, celebrities, and deep pocket donors were in attendance, and Special Operations was tasked for event security. The entertainment was a private concert by a pop musician who happened to be in Atlanta for a previously scheduled concert.

"Being low woman on the totem pole in the ops unit, I got assigned to this fund raiser. The other guys in the unit told me that seeing all the famous people and wealthy locals was interesting the first few times you do it but that the event would drag on so long that the job became tedious." Stacie had her friends hanging to her every word. The newness of her job interested her girlfriend and her friends because it was so different.

"Because the event was private and not open to the public, the fund raiser paid the city – so we got overtime rather than comp time. I was like what the hell? I can play glorified security guard for that kind of cash." Stacie was pumped up as she told them all about her first real gig in special ops and who all she got to see. "And the entertainment, you aren't going to believe me when I tell you." Chloe scooted to the edge of her seat as she waited to hear who had performed.

"Oh. My. God." Chloe squealed. "Hailee Steinfield is adorable. When I say adorable, I mean in a very hot, adorable, sexy kind of way."

Beca poked her girlfriend in her shoulder. "The child is only twenty-one years old. Come on Beale, get your head out of the gutter."

"She's super nice, too." Stacie continued. "I actually got to talk to her – told her all about my best friend's girlfriend," she pointed at Chloe, "who has followed every step of her career since _True Grit_."

Chloe clapped her hands gleefully at the tall cop's words. "I. Am. So. Jealous. You got to meet her!"

"Yeah, well, perks of the job." Stacie stretched her arms way back, over her head and then leaned forward and tossed an envelope which skittered across the table. "Ms. Steinfield had her assistant send this for you, well for all of us actually." She grinned at Chloe then at Aubrey. She had already let Beca in on the surprise to make sure she and Chloe were free that night.

Another scream spouted from Chloe's mouth. "STACIE! Front row VIP tickets along with backstage passes? What? How… This show has been sold out forever, like since her last movie came out."

Stacie gave a sideways grin and a shrug. "I suppose it pays to be nice to the clients. And being a hot cop in uniform doesn't hurt me either." She polished her fingers on her shirt.

Aubrey pulled her girlfriend over and kissed her hard. "Long as you remember that this hot cop is taken."

Stacie beamed a smile at the blonde. "How could I possibly forget?" She turned to her two friends. "There is a ninety-minute pre-party experience before the concert. Her assistance said that the backstage portion will be limited to after the show and depends on how things go. We may or may not get to actually meet Hailee. It's not an official concert offering here in Atlanta but something they sometimes do. We'll see."

* * *

Because Stacie had already shared the plans with Beca, the tiny ex-cop had arranged for a limo service to take them to the concert. "There's no reason for any of us to fight traffic. This is so much easier." She said nonchalantly as the redhead threw her arms around Beca's chest and squeezed hard. "Air, Chlo, don't forget I need air."

While equally as excited, Aubrey was more subdued. She placed her hand on Beca's arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. She leaned over to give the short woman a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Beca." The shorter woman gave her a questioning look. "For being the best friend Stacie could ever ask for and for the way you treat Chloe. Both of those mean the world to me."

Beca flashed a smile at the tall blonde and held out her arm to escort her to the limo. Chloe had already run ahead, climbed in, and was excitedly exploring all the nooks and crannies of the long vehicle.

Upon arrival at the venue, they showed all the proper credentials and were escorted into the VIP party which was already in full swing. There were hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and a DJ spinning all of Hailee's songs along with other top pop music. Each woman had been given a goodie bag when they came in that held specialized souvenirs of their experience. "He's pretty good," Beca yelled over the beats as she motioned to the DJ.

Chloe dragged her to the dance floor and did not waste time in putting the excellent music to use as all the women were having a good time enjoying themselves. During a break in their dancing, the pop star's assistant found them at their table and collected their bags. "I will hold these for you until after the concert. I never understood why they are distributed so early. People just have to keep up with them for hours, and half the stuff gets messed up."

When she returned from storing the bags, the assistant actually took a seat with them at the table. "My feet are killing me; I hope you don't mind." She turned to Aubrey. "You must be Aubrey, the one who is keeping our woman in blue happy these days." Aubrey was shocked but proud to learn that Stacie had been talking about her.

She then turned to the redhead. "And Chloe, Hailee's biggest fan. She's excited to meet you. She doesn't think anyone from her early years still follows her." Chloe was shocked to hear that the pop star actually wanted to meet her. "I understand you are also an elementary music teacher at a local school. Very impressive – the arts are so important to our youth but getting lost in the midst of all the mandated state testing. I'm glad to hear there are still special programs in our public schools."

Then it was Beca's turn. "You must be Stacie's best friend. I must say you are tiny for a police officer."

"Former police officer. I recently retired due to a work-related injury."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Without being too obtrusive, Stacie shared a little bit about you – specifically your college background and your musical hobbies." Chloe felt Beca tense up beside her. She ran her hand down Beca's arm and massaged the fist that her girlfriend had tightly formed.

"Shhh, Relax Becs. I'm sure Stacie meant well." Chloe whispered quietly.

The assistant continued to speak. "There is someone I'd like for you to meet." She turned to look around the room. She saw who she was looking for talking to a group of fans and went to touch him on the shoulder to gain his attention. When he turned around and approached their table, she said, "I'd like for you to meet…"

"Beca? Beca Mitchell! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" The man reached out for Beca like he wanted to hug her but instead shook her hand and put the other on her elbow for in a more intimate greeting.

"Theo? What the hell are you doing here?" Beca's beautiful smile grew across her face and in an uncharacteristic move reached over and gave him a short embrace.

"Oh." The assistant was shocked. "I take it you two already know each other."

Theo's grin was still broad as he said, "Yeah, Beca and I go way back – college days. Wow! We… need to talk. I… ummm have to get back to work," he motioned over his shoulder to the door. "But I see you have backstage passes. I'll catch you there then. I'll make sure Hailee makes time as well. There are a few days to our next gig, and I have some time. I hope we can get together before I leave town. My god, Mitchell you look good. I can't wait to talk." He shook Beca's hand again and waved bye to the rest of the group.

"Well that was interesting." The assistant looked impressed. "I'll be looking forward to hearing the rest of that story. He never gets that excited, not even when his mom visits. I guess that means the backstage tour with Hailee is on, especially if Theo says."

The assistant turned to leave when Beca stopped her. "What exactly does Theo do for Hailee?"

She laughed. "He's her producer, the only one she'll work with."

* * *

The concert was amazing, especially with the front row seats Stacie had been able to procure. The performer sang two full sets and an encore. Chloe danced the entire time and sang at the top of her lungs throughout every song. She went ballistic when Hailee walked along the front of the stage, arm outstretched touching fingertips with the audience members.

As the house lights came up, the four collapsed exhaustedly into their chairs which hadn't been used since the music began. "Stacie, did I mention I love you? This has been awesome." Chloe had mad respect for her best friend's girlfriend. "I mean, you do incredible things for Bree all the time. But _this_ was the best."

Soon, the assistant came to get them and led them through the behind the scenes maze. "She's taking a shower, but I promise she'll be out soon." The group were then left in the green room with various people milling about.

Theo was quick to find the group and pull Beca aside. "Faith said she had someone she wanted me to meet as a favor to one of the police officer who had detail at the fundraiser yesterday. I had no idea she meant you – THE Beca Mitchell."

Beca blushed at the way he said her name. "I'm not all that Theo. But yeah, I used to work with Stacie. She was my roommate and partner on the street for about five years. I'm still trying to decide if I should shoot her for telling Faith anything at all about my college days."

"What happened to you Beca? Last I heard you scored this sweet internship in Los Angeles after graduation. But when I went to look you up, they said a few weeks after we graduated, you declined. Didn't give them a reason or anything."

She didn't think this was the place to go into an explanation of her life choices back then, but working with her therapist had brought her to the point where she knew she would be able to talk about things if she was in a safe environment. And her safe environment included Chloe Beale. "You said you have a few days until your next gig. How about we meet for lunch tomorrow? You can meet my amazing girlfriend, and I will fill you in on all the gory details."

Theo agreed under one condition. "Bring some of your mad music. I know you have something that would knock my socks off. I remember your creations from college. I miss your tunes Becs."

"We'll see Theo; we'll see." Beca laughed at British college bud.

Beca meandered back over to her friends who were taking selfies with various band members, backup singers and dancers. Her girlfriend was chattering away with many of the women like they were long lost friends. Suddenly Chloe froze as a new person walked into the room.

Beca turned and saw that Hailee had come in with her assistant and made a bee-line to Stacie's group. The pop singer's eyes lit up as she ran to the police officer and gave her a huge hug. "You made it!" Stacie introduced her to each of her friends. Lots of selfies were taken and group pictures as well. "I was afraid I wasn't going to have a chance to see you guys back here. But right before the show, my producer came in all crazy-eyed and changed my schedule. And what Theo says… goes."

* * *

Beca had not gotten nervous about lunch with Theo until she and Chloe got into her truck to head to the restaurant. "Tell me who Theo is again babe?" The redhead was trying to distract Beca. She threaded her fingers with her girlfriend's and calmly stroked her skin with her thumb. She hoped that if she redirected Beca's mind that she would calm down. She knew what a huge step this was for her girlfriend who had grown leaps and bounds emotionally since therapy.

"We went to University of Seattle together, had a lot of the same classes, and collaborated on several projects. He's extremely talented, so I'm not surprised to see how quickly he's climbed the ranks in the industry." Beca took several deep breaths as Lyla said that would help lower her anxiety level. "Last night he brought up my internship and wanted to know why I disappeared. We worked on so many college projects together, and he was instrumental in me landing that internship. I figure I owe him an explanation."

"You don't owe anyone anything Beca."

"Yeah, well I want to. Theo's good people. Hey, did you load those songs I asked?"

Chloe nodded. "He must be good people if you are going to let him listen to your music."

The brunette gave a small chuckle. "I haven't made up my mind yet."

* * *

Conversation was light throughout lunch. Theo filled Beca in on his life with work since he graduated college. "Everything was so slow at the beginning. Then lightning struck and boom, I was on my way. Being in Atlanta with Hailee this week is a complete fluke. I want her to cut a live album during the Australian part of her tour, so we are recording some tracks on this part of her tour so we can see how it will sound. Needless to say, I was totally shocked to see THE Beca Mitchell."

Beca again laughed. "Why do you always say my name like I'm a star – THE Beca Mitchell? I'm not all that."

"Oh, my friend, you are all that and a bag of chips. Okay, you said you'd explain to me what happened to you way back when…" Theo wasn't being pushy, but his tone did show he was truly interested in Beca's experiences.

She took a deep breath. She knew she had to tell him now or she'd never be able to. "You know my mom and I were close, right? Two weeks after graduation, she passed away." Beca stopped to gather her composure.

Theo reached over and put his hand on hers. "My god Beca. I didn't know. I am so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." Beca continued. "Nobody knew. It happened quite suddenly, and she hadn't even told me she was sick. When it came time to move to LA, I just couldn't. I felt lost and had absolutely no direction. My passion for music disappeared. I felt like a huge hole had been ripped out of my chest. The space that my mother held was gone, and apparently music had been attached. Both were now missing, and I had utterly no idea what to do. So I didn't go to Los Angeles."

Beca explained about her move to Atlanta and joining the police force. "I've only started dabbling with music again the past year or two, and this one," she patted Chloe's hand, "has dragged me kicking and screaming back into song."

"Then I owe you a tremendous thank you Chloe because this one has some true talent. I'd like to be a part of anything you'd allow me to Beca." When the server dropped off the check, Beca reached for it, but Theo snatched it from her. "Work's picking up the tab on this one. Now about what I asked you to bring…" He gleefully rubbed his hands together.

Beca rolled her eyes. "Dude, only because I love you. These don't have much production work, none in fact. But… here's my most recent." She queued up the song she had written for Chloe a few months ago. "Chloe named this one _Hurt Somebody_." Theo plugged his earphones into her phone and pressed play. Once the song was over, he listened again.

"Is that you on the guitar?" Beca shook her head. "Why not?"

"Well remember I used to be Stacie's partner on the force. A doped-up perp tried to use my head as a baseball, a balcony broke and well… let's just say that I ended up with some very expensive metal in my wrist and a cast for a few months." She showed him Igor, her scar. "I started this song, writing like a demon. And you know how I am when I get a song going. I needed to hear it with the instrument. So Chlo here had a friend help me out."

"Beca, you know as well as I that this is pure gold. I'm going to set you up with some studio time here in Atlanta so you can properly record a demo. I'll arrange for some production assistance or you can do the work yourself."

The tiny brunette was shell-shocked and didn't respond for a few moments. "Ummm Theo, I don't know if I'm ready for this. I mean, a real studio? I just started writing and singing again…" Her voice was quivering as her nerves were taking over. Chloe could tell she was battling her flight response. Beca's hands were trembling as she looked away from the table then dropped her eyes to her lap.

Chloe pulled Beca's hands into hers and held them tightly offering comfort. She scooted her chair over and whispered into her girlfriend's ear. "I love you Beca Mitchell. You are the perfect girlfriend. And you have an amazing voice. I'll support whatever decision you make."

The redhead had a way of always calming Beca down. "Can I have a few days to think about it Theo? I mean I appreciate the offer dude, but it's just overwhelming right now."

"Of course Becs. And this studio time… there's no strings attached. No contract. I just need a demo to pitch. I know exactly who to toss it to. The guy will snatch it up in a heartbeat."

Now that Beca had chilled some, she let Theo hear the other song she had Chloe put on her phone, the one she had first played for Chloe on the piano. He listened with his eyes closed, smiling. When it was over, he opened his eyes and looked directly at his college pal. "Now those are some Mitchell ivories. I would recognize your piano music anywhere. You've got such talented fingers."

"That's what she said," Beca mumbled with a grin on her face. Theo burst out laughing as Chloe turned bright red.

"Damn Beca. I'm so glad our paths crossed last night. I've truly missed you."

Trying to not get choked up, Beca put on a brave face. "Yeah well I've missed you, too. And since your rich ass picked up lunch, here." She tossed a USB across the table. "Copies of those two songs and one more. All rough and recorded at my house, so don't expect much."

Theo grinned. "Thanks Beca."

"By the way, I've thought about it. Set me up with some studio time. I only need one engineer to work with but he has to be someone you trust implicitly."

* * *

When Chloe and Beca finally made it home, Beca flopped on the couch relieved lunch was over. Chloe dug for a few beers in the refrigerator and took a seat next to her girlfriend. "I'm not quite sure what to say grasshopper." The tiny brunette snuggled up against the redhead. "Are you sure you are ready for this?"

Beca chuckled as she drained her beer in a few swallows. "I think I am. I mean when I decided that I was going to retire from the department, Lyla and I discussed what my next steps were. Slowly moving back into music was one of them. Now I know this isn't a leisurely stroll, but I think it will be good for me. No contract, no expectations, just one song."

"I'm going to make an appointment with Lyla this week to make sure she feels I'm ready." Beca got up to get another beer. "Theo fucking Davies," Beca chuckled. "Of all the people to run into at a concert."

* * *

 **A/N: I'm off on vacation for a bit. I'm going to try to continue to update via phone, but please bear with me! Thanks.**

 **P.S. Whatcha think about this curveball?**


	14. The Dotted Line

_Several weeks later_

Ever since Beca had gone to Bravo Ocean Studios, her creative juices had been flowing like crazy. In addition to working with the students at Chloe's and Josh's schools, she had been doing a great deal of song writing of her own again. As well she had pulled out a lot of her work from college and had been refreshing the music and tweaking the lyrics. As much as Chloe didn't like interrupting her girlfriend when she was working in her music room, Beca's phone had been blowing up for quite some time that afternoon.

"Babe," she gingerly approached her girlfriend to avoid startling her. Lightly touching Beca on the shoulder, she slid her arms down Beca's front and kissed her on the side of her face. "Hey sweetie."

The brunette pushed her headphones back to hang around her neck and turned her head to give her girlfriend a proper kiss. "Hey ladybug, is it dinner time already?"

"Not yet baby. But your phone has been going off non-stop. I thought it might be important." She dangled Beca's phone in front of her face. As Beca reached for it, Chloe teased it away. "Pay the price!" She giggled as she tried to escape from her girlfriend's grasp.

Beca turned her body around and threw her arms around the redhead's shoulders before she could escape. Pulling her in tightly, she kissed Chloe long and hard. Chloe dropped the phone on the table and continued to kiss her girlfriend. As they broke apart, both women were panting from lack of oxygen. "Damn, I'll gladly pay that price anytime." Beca scooped up her phone to look at it before Chloe got any other ideas. She had five texts and three missed calls – all from Theo. She pressed his number to return his call. "Theo my man. What's up?"

"Becs, where have you been? I've been trying to get in touch with you." His voice had an edge of excitement to it.

"Whatever dude. I'm here now. Now what's the emergency?"

"Can't tell you on the phone. Good news is that I'm in Atlanta. How soon can you meet me at Brave Ocean?"

Beca made a questionable face at Chloe who shrugged and nodded. "Ummm give me an hour?" Beca hung up. "I wonder what that's all about?"

"Dunno, now – where were we?" She started advancing on Beca as she pulled off her top and dropped it to the floor.

"Chlo! We only have an hour. You know if we get started, we won't ever make it." Her words were soon cut off by the redhead pushing her into the living room and onto the couch.

* * *

Making it to the studio with only a few minutes to spare, Beca and Chloe pulled up and parked in front of the studio. The brunette grabbed Chloe's hand as the went up the steps. "Gawd I hope we don't smell like sex."

"Do you really think Theo would even notice?" Chloe giggled as they let the receptionist know that Theo was expecting them. He didn't take long in coming to the front to take them upstairs to a meeting room with a long, rectangular table with a large TV screen at one end and a ceiling mounted camera.

A pristinely dressed woman stood from her chair in the room. Theo proudly made introductions. "Beca Mitchell, this is Anna Franklin, a music attorney I work with on many of my projects in the Atlanta area. And this lovely auburn beauty is Chloe Beale, Beca's girlfriend." Anna reached out her hand and warmly greeted both women.

"Let's have a seat. Well Beca, has Theo given you any idea to why you are here?" Beca shook her head. She was increasingly curious as to what was so important that Theo wanted to immediately meet with her out of the blue.

Theo couldn't keep the exuberance out of his voice. "You gave me a perfectly produced demo version of your song Beca. That you were able to do that in less than a week is a pretty amazing feat in of itself. I told you that I had someone in mind to shop your song to. And…"

Anna picked up the discussion from there. "The artist wants your song Ms. Mitchell; moreover, he wants you to be intimately involved in the recording and production because he believes that a songwriter who can do what you did with a demo, in a week, has a lot to offer to the creative process. You'd have not only songwriter credits but also co-producer credits. At least that's what I'll be pushing for."

Beca could feel her throat constricting as invisible hands squeezed her neck. As much as she wanted to talk, she couldn't find her words because of the nerves in her stomach. Her hands were shaking and her legs soon began the quiver as well. Chloe could feel her girlfriend slowly freaking out and slid her hand over to Beca's thigh. She noticed a sheen of sweat forming on the brunette's forehead.

Chloe asked Theo and Anna to give them a few minutes and the room was quickly cleared. Chloe twisted a bottle of water open and held it to Beca's lips. "Small sips baby." She rubbed Beca's back gently with her hand. When the brunette seemed a little more together, Chloe asked, "Are you okay sweetie? What's going on in that head of yours?"

Beca finished her water. "I recorded that demo because music is my first love. The production I could have done blindfolded. But this… to sell a song? I'm not that good Chlo. I write for me. I sing for me. I'm not talented enough." She hung her head down.

Chloe reached around and lifted Beca's chin so she could look directly into those dark blue eyes she loved so much. "You can do this. In fact, you _did_ do this. You ARE talented enough." The couple sat a bit longer so Beca could collect herself. "Now I'm going to get Theo and Anna in here, and you are going to listen to what they have to say." As he entered, Theo flashed a concerned look towards Beca who wouldn't make eye contact. Chloe gave him a quick thumbs-up as she kept her hand on Beca's back, rubbing slow, comforting circles.

"Okay Beca, Noah Kahan wants to record your song. He's a young, up and coming artist. He will, without a doubt, take your song to the top of the charts. And the best news is he's ready to get started yesterday." Theo couldn't stop grinning.

"Now I am representing you on this as a favor to Theo here." Anna was all business. "I know he promised you no strings attached on this round. But if you sign this deal, I strongly suggest you look into hiring an agent. I have several I can recommend." The attorney pushed forward a packet of papers towards Beca. "Here's what his team is offering and what I'm suggesting as a counter. If you want to take these contracts to an independent attorney, I certainly understand. Or," she motioned to the TV set up, "we can call them right now and negotiate this baby."

"This is all going so fast Theo." Beca was still overwhelmed and looked at Theo with pleading eyes. She skimmed the paperwork. "You know I didn't pay much attention in Contracts class dude. I only passed because of you."

Theo chuckled. "Do you trust me Mitchell? I won't steer you wrong."

Beca read a little more. "Can I add something to this?" When Anna agreed, Beca told her that the recording either needed to be done in Atlanta or the freedom for Chloe to go with her to Los Angeles whenever possible. "She's my rock, and I want to make sure she can be with me when I need her."

Anna stepped out to make a phone call. When she returned, she connected the television to the other studio where three people were on the other end. Pleasantries were exchanged and then introductions. Theo stood up and stood behind the tiny songwriter with his hands on her shoulders. "And this, my friend, is Beca Mitchell – THE Beca Mitchell."

Beca playfully slapped his hand. "Dude, stop calling me that."

Surprisingly, Noah was on the call as well and took the time to try to convince Beca to let him record her song. He was genuinely interested in not only her song but what she had to offer as a fellow artist and producer. His legal team was quick to agree to the new contract terms, and things were settled.

As soon as the camera disconnected, a loud shrill came from behind Beca, and Chloe threw herself into her girlfriend's lap. Beca was laughing uncontrollably at how the redhead was reacting. "You'll have to excuse her exuberance. It's her nature and why I fell in love with her. She displays all my elation for me while I hide in the corner." Despite Beca's dry words, she was grinning from ear to ear.

Champagne was brought in for the group to celebrate Beca's contract. "May this be the first of many collaborations. To THE Beca Mitchell." He spun around to avoid Beca's tiny fist aimed at his stomach.

"Wait – you said to 'the first of many collaborations'." Beca narrowed her eyebrows at her friend. "Explain."

Theo drained his bubbly and poured another glass. "Oh, yeah, didn't I explain?" Beca shook her head warily. "You'll be co-producing with me. I've missed you Mitchell." This time Beca didn't miss as she aimed a punch to his mid-section.

* * *

Theo wanted to take the couple out to dinner, but Chloe wanted to share the news with their best friends. A compromise was reached as they agreed to all go out together. "I'll be the envy of all the men being in the company of the four most beautiful women in the city." Chloe made the call to Aubrey and made sure that they could join them for dinner. Theo wouldn't share many details, so Chloe could only tell the blonde that it would be a fancy celebration and to dress appropriately.

Theo set up separate cars to pick up each couple and met them at the restaurant. As they arrived, the women were immediately whisked back to the kitchen where they were seated at the special chef's table in full view of everything going on at the back of the house. Theo stood and welcomed each pair to the table.

"Ohhhh fancy schmancy dude." Beca slid into the circular booth as the other three women scooted in as well. "Aria. Reservations here are mighty hard to get. My tall drink of water friend here has been trying to snag a table for her lovely lady for months." Aubrey looked at Stacie with a surprised look on her face. The tall brunette just gave her a sheepish grin before looking away.

"Let's just say I have connections." Theo had already selected the first wine and had the server pour some for each of his guests.

"I didn't realize you were in town Theo." Stacie took a small sip of her wine.

"Business." His answer was short, leaving Beca to explain as she felt appropriate.

Aubrey put both her hands on the table and flashed her broad, illuminating smile. "Chloe told me we were celebrating?" Beca shyly ducked her head and nodded to her girlfriend who was looking at her expectantly.

Of course, Chloe couldn't hold the secret in any longer. "Beca sold her song! She's now officially in the business." When Stacie and Aubrey started firing questions, Chloe knew Beca would quickly become overwhelmed. She asked Theo to give an abbreviated discussion of the arrangement with Noah Kahan for him to not only sing Beca's song but for Beca to also work with Theo on production.

Stacie was seated next to Beca and couldn't resist giving her tiny friend a tremendous hug. "Don't forget me when you are famous?" She joked as she wiped away joyful tears for her friend, roommate, and former work partner.

"Never. You guys are my rock, my foundation. I'd have never survived the past year and gotten to this point without you." Having said that, Beca didn't speak much more as she opened her menu. She checked all the pages before exclaiming. "Dude, there are no prices on here." She glared at her British pal.

Theo chuckled as he motioned the chef over. "I don't think you have to worry about that, especially tonight."

The chef brought over an assortment of appetizers and introduced himself. "Welcome to Aria. I promise you have the best seat in the house thanks to Mr. Theo here. He is one of my most special guests. I hear congratulations are in order Ms. Mitchell."

* * *

Chloe was scrambling to make sure she had everything she needed packed for the weekend trip to Los Angeles to see Beca. Theo had not been kidding when he said that Noah wanted to start working on this project yesterday. Only a few days passed between the contract signing and the LA studio whisking Beca away to California to start recording. This is the longest Chloe had spent without Beca since they met, and the redhead felt lost without her soulmate.

She knew Aubrey would be arriving soon to take her to the airport, so she calmed herself the best she could, took her suitcase outside and locked the door. A strange car drove up to the curb, and when Chloe didn't move towards the car, Aubrey got out and motioned for her to get moving. "Come on Chloe; we don't want to miss the flight."

"I thought you were driving me to the airport." As the driver loaded her bag, Chloe climbed into the backseat next to her friend. "Is your car in the shop? I could have ordered my own Uber Bree."

"Well plans change. Stacie thought you might get lonely when Beca's working and decided I should go with you."

Chloe squealed as she wrapped her arms around Aubrey. "Really?"

"Really! Of course, I think Beca and Stacie joined forces and Stacie is more concerned with me being lonely. But the end result is the same. We are going to take Los Angeles by storm!"

The two checked their bags and cleared security with ease. "Check this out Aubrey." She showed her the boarding passes the agent had printed for them at the desk. "First class." She walked over to a mahogany door close to their gate. "And check this out. First class lounge." Beca had the studio pull out all the stops for the best pals.

Both friends had an incredibly delightful time pretending they were rich socialites who travelled in such opulent style all the time. Of course, the women were so stunningly beautiful and carried themselves with such grace that nobody would know any differently.

"Beca has been working her ass off the last week, but she said the label is treating her well. I miss her so much Bree." Chloe laid her head on the blonde's shoulder.

"I know you do; but it's all worth it, right? You have always told me that the only thing you wished for Beca was for her to get her music back. I'd have to say that you got your wish sweetie."

Chloe smiled. "This… is so true. Guess I need to find something else to wish for."

* * *

"Damn it Theo. Something's fucking missing." Beca banged her head against the mixer. She'd been doing well thus far with the stress and was working Noah as fast and as hard as she pushed herself, but something just wasn't right with the sound. She wasn't satisfied with what she was hearing.

"You are working too much on this right out of the gate Beca. The song is coming along great. Just give it time."

"Dude, remember I know this song inside and out. I wrote it. I sang it. I played the guitar on the demo. I already produced it once. This is nothing but a repeat performance, but it's still missing something." Beca was a perfectionist, and she was quite aware that this would gnaw at her until she figured out a solution.

Something Beca said sparked Theo into action as he spun his chair around and slapped on his headphones. She just watched as he mumbled under his breath and worked furiously on the boards. "Move that, separate, overlay here and here…" After a bit, he pushed back from the set, apparently done with his changes. "Ready?" Beca nodded and reached over to play the track again.

A little less than halfway through the song, Beca heard a new voice blend in with Noah's. She didn't say anything until the track was over. "Theo?"

"You said it was missing something. It's missing another voice. I lifted yours from the demo to lay on top, and well, you heard the results."

"We can get another singer, right?"

Theo didn't respond to her question. "Let's get Noah in here."

They played the new track for Noah. When he heard Beca's voice mixed in, he absolutely fell in love. "Guys, that's perfect. You nailed it."

Both Beca and Theo were grinning that they had figured out what Beca knew had been missing. "Who are you thinking to do the track with you Noah? We can send out feelers and find the perfect second voice." Beca was excited that Theo agreed on the song's sound.

Noah looked at Beca like she had two heads. "That was you, right?" Beca nodded. "I want you Beca. Your voice. You're perfect. I'm sure our agents will adjust the contract, but that track you just played for me… _that's_ what I want." With that, Noah stood up and left the room.

Theo couldn't hold his laughter anymore. "The client has spoken Beca; what the client says – goes. Saddle up. Get into the booth. Let's do this for real."

* * *

Despite her consternation, most of Beca's part was successfully recorded that afternoon. The production would be done in the Atlanta studio so that Beca could sleep in her own bed and not be away from her girlfriend. The hotel the studio had her in here were incredible, but nothing beat her own mattress with her little redhead curled up next her.

Beca felt proud, accomplished at already being at this stage in the project after only a short period of work. Chloe and Lyla had been right; this is indeed what she had needed. For the first time in a long time, she felt whole again and truly at peace with herself. "Damn this feels good! Thanks Theo."

"Becs, you make it seem so easy." Theo kicked his feet up on the table. "You always had a knack for this work. I know we are still balls to the walls with this project, but there's something else I wanted to talk to you about." The tiny brunette twisted open the top of a water bottle and motioned for him to go on.

"You gave me another song on that USB drive back in Atlanta, not the piano song – while beautiful, I remember that one from college." He almost winced as he continued. "I think you called it _The Jungle_ – included tracks, sheet music, the works. We need to cut a real demo. I sort of already shopped it around and got some bites."

"Theo! That was not ready for other ears. How embarrassing."

"Look, you are about to blow up in this business. It's never too early to get in with more than one song. Several agents asked how quickly we could get them a demo. This could possibly lead to a bidding war."

The tiny woman could feel the stress building up in her chest. She needed her Chloe, she need the next best thing and just closed her eyes and merely breathed. "It's not about the money for me Theo."

"Okay then, we'll take a different approach and choose the artist who can take it highest on the charts. I'm telling you my friend; this song is going to be a hit." When Beca looked at him with an unnerved look, he reached over and pulled her hands into his. "I have faith in you Beca as does Chloe. You just need to have faith in yourself. Things are about to blow up for you. I promise."

Finally, Beca just changed the subject to safer ground. "Hey – Aubrey and Chloe flew in today. They've been out shopping, touristing, or whatever since their plane landed. How about we get together for dinner?" Theo jumped at the chance to join them again.

"Do me a favor? Don't mention I'm singing on this track. I want it to be a surprise. And the new demo, please keep that quiet, too."

* * *

The brunette slipped her key card into her hotel suite lock not knowing what she'd find but hoping that it would be her cute, sexy girlfriend with auburn hair on the other side of the door. She knew that Chloe and Aubrey were planning on going shopping so decided to not text her girlfriend that she was headed back to the hotel so that she and Aubrey wouldn't cut their afternoon short. When the door opened and she saw bags neatly lined up in the living area of the suite, she was hopeful that Chloe was there, too.

"Chlo? Bree? You here?" She wandered from room to room only to find them empty. The label had put her in a luxury suite which had two bedrooms with a king-sized bed each, a huge living/dining area, and a balcony overlooking the city. She'd been missing Chloe something fierce and decided to fly her in for the weekend. When she told Stacie of her plans, her best friend asked if Aubrey could tag along. Of course, Beca agreed that the plan was flawless and made the arrangements – well had an intern make the arrangements but of course Beca got the credit.

She made herself a drink and kicked back in one of the overstuffed chairs in the living room. After she finished one drink, she got antsy and started missing Chloe too much and picked up her phone knowing her girlfriend was in the same city.

 _Tiny Music Producer: Just wanted to let you know I'm at the hotel. No rush but wanted to let you know we have dinner plans [plate with fork and knife emoji]_

 _Cute Sexy Redhead: On our way up right now. From the spa. See you soon. [lots of heart emojies]_

True to Chloe's word, she and Aubrey came in only a few short minutes later. "Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeescaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa." Chloe's scream was piercing as she launched herself at her girlfriend. Beca almost fell over at the impact, but she loved it and wouldn't have it any other way.

She buried her face into Chloe's hair and breathed in her smell. "I've missed you Chlo." Aubrey made herself scarce by sorting their purchases and moving the bags to the appropriate bedrooms. After the couple had reunited, Beca finally greeted Aubrey with a handshake that turned into a fierce hug. "Hi Bree. Glad you could make it. Did you ladies have a good day?"

The trio gathered in the living room with drinks while the friends told about the shopping, the spa trip, everything. Chloe was animated as she was excited, then again Chloe was always excited. "How is the recording going? You handling things okay?" She was bubbling over wanting to know all the details.

"Going great babe, and yeah I'm doing well. I'm glad this opportunity came up." Beca's shy smile had returned as she tried to keep herself from shifting into flight mode. Beca chose to not say much more since she wasn't sure how lenient Theo and Noah would be with her discussing the project with her friends. She still had a lot to learn about what she could and couldn't do in the industry.

Beca filled them in on their dinner plans with Theo and that where he'd be taking them would probably be even nicer than before since they were on his home turf. Aubrey immediately took her purchases to her room so she could begin getting ready. "Ugh Chloe, I did _not_ come here with anything nice. I'm going to be so out of place." Beca was moaning as she realized she had packed all casual clothes. Chloe grabbed the rest of the bags and motioned for Beca to follow her into their bedroom.

"Luckily for you, _I_ went shopping today. And my _girlfriend_ was in need of some new digs now that she's a hotshot songwriter and producer." She motioned to the bags now littering the room. "And so Stacie wouldn't feel left out, Aubrey got her some sexy new clothes, too."

Beca shot Chloe a sideways grin as she walked over to wrap her arms around her girlfriend. "I still think you are the best girlfriend ever."

Chloe managed to empty most the bags and pieced together a full outfit for her girlfriend, even down to the shoes.

* * *

As predicted, Theo's choice in restaurants was impeccable. and the food marvelous "I'm delighted you two could join us from Atlanta. Los Angeles is quite a different world, eh?" His smile was genuine as he spoke to Chloe and Aubrey. "I know how difficult it is for Beca to be away from you, Chloe, for even a short amount of time. Thanks for letting me borrow her."

"Long as you give her back Theo." Chloe winked at the bearded Brit as she grasped Beca's hand tightly beneath the table.

"Question – have either of you been in a working studio before?" Both Aubrey and Chloe shook their head. "Consider this your official invitation to come by the studio tomorrow then. See THE Beca Mitchell in action."

"I thought we wrapped recording today." Beca cut her eyes sideways at her college buddy. She never had any idea about what to expect from him.

"On _that_ project, we did, sure. But... after you left today, I had the house band lay down some tracks, thanks to your sheet music, to that _other_ song on that USB drive." Ignoring Beca's glares, he turned to his two other guests. "Anyhow I hope to see you both tomorrow around eleven? Becs, eight?"

"You better be glad I love you Theo. Your IOUs are starting to pile up."

As the group prepared to leave, Theo gently grasped Chloe's arm and whispered something in her ear. While he tried to be sneaky about it, Beca busted him. "No way Theo. There will be no secrets."

* * *

 **A/N: Posting a day early since I'll be on a few planes quite some time over the next few days. I've uploaded the rest of the updates so that I can keep up while on vacation. Because we all know - FF comes first! ha ha**


	15. Wolves, Vests, and the Radio

The next morning, Beca ordered room service breakfast so that Chloe and Aubrey would not have to rush to get to the studio. Honestly, she was nervous about them coming but knew it was just another step to the goal of being comfortable with the new direction her life had taken. She wanted Chloe to see her in her element and be proud of her accomplishments.

Aubrey and Chloe were both wrapped in the huge, fluffy bath robes they had gotten the previous day at the spa. The food was spread around the coffee and side tables as they all gorged themselves on the scrumptious offerings. After checking her watch, Beca announced it was time for her to head to the studio. "I need to be there at eight. You two can go back to bed since there is still have plenty of time before you need to head over." She kissed her girlfriend, grabbed her laptop, and left.

No sooner did Beca step into the elevator did her phone go off.

 _Cute Sexy Redhead: See you soon baby. I love you [music note emoji, grasshopper emoji]  
_ _Tiny Music Producer: Love you, too [heart emoji, ladybug emoji]_

"Okay Bree, start getting ready."

"Slow your roll Chlo; we don't have to be there until eleven. That's what? Three hours?"

"Nope, we need to be there at nine. That's what Theo whispered in my ear. He has something he wants us to hear. Maybe we get to hear the song Beca has been working on with Noah." Chloe started clapping her hands excitedly. "I'm so excited."

Since they had less than an hour to get to the studio, both women got ready in a hurry. Luckily Theo told them the day would be casual. And since Beca left wearing ripped jeans, a tank and a flannel shirt – Aubrey and Chloe didn't mind dressing down. They were able to get out of the hotel on time, and their Uber dropped them off with a few minutes to spare.

After showing their identification, the receptionist gave them pass cards which had already been coded and waiting. They were soon being introduced to an intern who explained she was taking them to the studio. "As I'm sure you realized, Beca isn't expecting you this early. Theo moved them into a special studio today, one that has a double set of doors. We will be able to go through the first set while they are recording without disturbing the process. Nobody in the room will even know you are there."

Despite being told the outer room was non-obtrusive, everyone treaded lightly as they got settled – Chloe, Aubrey, and the intern. "I hope you don't mind if I stay. Your girlfriend is incredible, and I've really been admiring being about to watch and listen to her all week. Very inspiring." Apparently, the intern was impressed with the work Beca had been doing which made Chloe's insides glow with pride. She reached over and flipped on the intercom which allowed them to hear not only what was happening in the studio but also what Beca would be hearing in her ears as she sang – all the feeds were open.

Theo was talking to Beca about some adjustments, and they were about to start the song from the top. The tiny brunette stepped into the recording booth, adjusted her clothes and pulled the mic close to her mouth.

 _In your eyes, there's a heavy blue/One to love and one to lose/Sweet divide, a heavy truth/  
_ _Water or wine, don't make me choose  
_ _I wanna feel the way that we did that summer night/Drunk on a feeling, alone with the stars in the sky_

Beca closed her eyes and grasped the lapels of her shirt as she began to sing harder.

 _I've been running through the jungle/I've been running with the wolves  
_ _To get to you, to get to you/I've been down the darkest alleys  
_ _Saw the dark side of the moon/To get to you, to get to you  
_ _I've looked for love in every stranger/Took too much to ease the anger  
_ _All for you, yeah, all for you/I've been running through the jungle  
_ _I've been crying with the wolves/To get to you, to get to you_

The tiny singer let go of her shirt and touched her own face as the next verse was softer, more tender.

 _Your fingertips trace my skin/To places I have never been  
_ _Blindly I am following/Break down these walls and come on in_

As Beca began to repeat the bridge, she got two lines in before Theo stopped her. Chloe had been squeezing Aubrey's hand incredibly hard and was trying to not cry. "Chlo, are you okay?" The redhead nodded her head furiously. "Have you heard that song before?" Her friend shook her head equally as hard as she fought the tears.

"No," she managed to squeak out. "No, I hadn't."

About that time, the "recording in progress" light went off and the electronic lock on the door released with a snap. The intern reached for the inner door and motioned the best friends in before her. Beca was standing with her back to the pair discussing things with Theo when Chloe slipped her arms around the brunette and buried her face in the back of Beca's shirt, using the flannel to wipe her tears.

A surprised Beca turned around and when she saw her crying girlfriend, she was immediately concerned. "Chloe? What's wrong ladybug?" She wrapped her arms around the redhead. She looked at the clock. "Did something happen? Why are you here so early?" Beca looked over to Aubrey helplessly.

The blonde simply smiled and nodded her head to let Beca know that things were okay. "Wait." She looked at Theo then at the intern. "Did they… did she hear that?" Beca turned at pointed at the sound booth. Theo raised his eyebrows and looked away, trying to act like he didn't know what she was talking about.

After guiding Chloe to a chair and handing her a bottle of water, she squatted in front of her girlfriend. "Now baby, tell me why you are crying."

"I have never heard that song before." The redhead gulped some of the water. "Why?"

"Chlo, since all of this happened – you nudging me back to music – I've been writing non-stop. I have countless songs. I'm not sure there is time for you to listen to all of them, but I'll try harder, make time, okay?" She took the redhead's face gently into her hands. "This song… all my songs… are about you. You are my muse."

* * *

 _Back in Atlanta_

"Bug, can you get the door?" Beca grabbed her towel off the rack, dried off, and got dressed. Knowing she'd be home for a few weeks had the tiny music producer relaxed. After Chloe had privately expressed some concerns, Theo had agreed to give her two weeks off to rejuvenate. They didn't want Beca to feel overworked or stressed. She was doing well and everyone wanted to keep things that way.

The redhead opened the door to see a delivery driver standing on the porch. "Fed-Ex overnight package for…" the delivery driver looked at his display. "Beca Mitchell?" Chloe acknowledged he had the right address. "Sign here, please." He held out his machine. "Spell your last name?" She did so then shut the door as he left.

She examined the thick envelope and dropped it on the table with a loud thump. "It's for you darling," she called out. "From Theo, I think."

Beca came out from the bedroom pulling her still wet hair back into a loose pony-tail. "That's odd. He didn't tell me he was sending anything. I wonder why he didn't call." She picked up the heavy envelope and ripped open the easy-open strip. She pulled out three thick packs of paper each held together with a binder clip and marked with sticky "sign here" tabs.

There was a short note on yellow paper which Chloe snatched and read. "Hey Becs, I know you said you didn't care about a bidding war; so here are three offers you might want to take a look at. By the way, contracts all reference the song's new name, _Wolves._ Mull things over, sign the one you want and courier it directly to your agent in the envelope provided. But if you love me, at least send me a text to let me know. If none of these are good, we'll keep looking. Give my love to Chloe and the other girls. Take care, Theo."

The redhead moved behind Beca so she could look over her shoulder as she examined the first contract. "Wow, that's some impressive cash."

"Yeah but I've never heard of that production company. I'm not letting my song go to an unknown to muck it up." She set the first contract aside and delved into the second. "Okay, I know these guys. The artist is, meh, and they've given me some artistic control. Damn, these people don't give up much though. Theo must know that these contracts aren't acceptable. Why the hell did he even bother?" She tossed the second one aside frustrated at her friend's choice in contracts to present.

Chloe wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "Third one's a charm." She kissed Beca on the back of her neck, trying to distract her. She could tell that the tiny brunette was irritated for Theo for sending her contracts he knew she wouldn't accept. Her music was sacred and she'd rather it be unrecorded than have someone put out a final product she didn't approve of.

When she heard Beca gasped, Chloe immediately got concerned. "Oh. My. God. Ummm Chloe." Beca's shoulders started to shake.

"I'm sorry Beca. Please don't be disappointed in Theo." Chloe hadn't looked at this contract and thought her girlfriend was upset.

"Disappointed? Shit no, Chlo." She found the right page and pointed. "Look at the artist." The brunette should have learned by now to plug her ears. True to her nature, Chloe let out a high-pitched squeal of excitement mixed with approval. Instinctively she threw her arms around Beca for a rib crushing hug. "Air, Chlo. Don't forget I need to breathe."

When Chloe calmed down and Beca had a chance to catch her breath, she continued. "Theo told me this song would start a bidding war. When I told him I wasn't interested in the money, he then said we should look for a chart topper. Shit. I never thought he'd manage to find both money and star-power." Beca quickly found a black pen and signed all the appropriate places. She slipped the signed contract into the pre-paid envelope to her agent.

"I'll call Fed-Ex for a pick up." Chloe pulled out her phone.

Beca stopped her. "Hell no, we are going right now to drop it off. Let's call Aubrey and Stacie and see if they are free for dinner." She grabbed Chloe's iPad and punched Aubrey's contact to connect with FaceTime. "Hey Aubrey!" Then in an uncharacteristic move, she waved at the camera. The blonde was definitely surprised to see Beca's face instead of her best friend's. The redhead popped in behind her girlfriend and waved as well. "Where's your other half?"

Hearing her best friend's voice, Stacie popped into the screen. "Hi bud! What's up?"

"Oh, not much. Same old, same old. Making music and selling songs." Beca was so unlike herself, pure giddiness. She held up the envelope addressed to her agent. "Guess what in this envelope?"

Stacie rolled her eyes as she raised her hand. "I know, I know. The winning lottery ticket." She flinched as Aubrey poked her in the side.

"Beca sweetie, why don't you tell us what has you so happy?" Aubrey didn't want her best friend's girlfriend to get herself too worked up.

"It… is a signed contract for the song you and Chlo heard in Los Angeles. And… guess who wants to record it?"

"Who Beca?"

"Selena Gomez!"

"What?" Aubrey saw the joy on her best friend's face. "Selena Gomez? Are you serious?"

"Come on – would I joke about that? Look, get your asses ready, nothing fancy. I just want to spend some time with all my favorite people to celebrate. We are on our way to pick you up."

* * *

 _A few months later_

When she got home after work, Aubrey was confused when she saw Beca's truck pulled in behind Stacie's car. First of all, Stacie wasn't supposed to be home as she was pulling a double shift. Secondly, why was Beca there? Regardless of her curiosity, she was always happy when Stacie's best friend came to visit. As she approached the door, it opened and Chloe was standing there with swollen eyes as if she'd been crying. Chloe hurled herself at her best friend and embraced her in a solid hug. "I'm so glad you are home." The redhead's voice was shaky as she buried her face in the blonde's chest.

Aubrey could hear Beca laughing in the distance but couldn't figure out why Chloe had been crying. "Chlo, what's wrong? Why are you and Beca here? Those insensitive cop-types are back there laughing and goofing off while you are here crying. Tell me what's wrong." Chloe rarely got upset and seeing her in such a state broke Aubrey's heart.

The redhead gave her a forced smile as she pulled her best friend into the house. Knowing the blonde had heard the other two cutting up in the bedroom eased her concern a bit. She poured her best friend a glass of wine from the open bottle sitting on the coffee table as they settled in next to each other. "There's not an easy way to say this without worrying you, but I know you can hear them back there laughing. So ... Stacie's squad helped SWAT on a pretty serious raid today. She was all pumped up and messaged Beca with pictures of her all geared up with her riot gear on while they were at the staging area."

When Aubrey turned to look towards the door and realized that Stacie hadn't put her equipment up on the stand in the foyer, she began to get a sinking feeling that something wasn't right. Everything was piled on the floor, and some of it seemed missing. "Okay, so why are you and Beca here. And why is Stacie home early?"

The redhead took Aubrey's glass from her and put it on the table. "Stacie got shot in the chest, several times." Chloe clamped down on her friend's arm to keep her from jumping up and running into the bedroom. "Bree, she's okay. Her vest helped absorb a lot of the impact and stopped the bullets from going through. She has a few minor shrapnel burns on her neck and a hell of a bruise forming across her ribcage and stomach."

Despite the blood having drained out of Aubrey's already pale face, she was managing to hold herself together. Chloe continued. "Because of the intense bruising forming so quickly, she was taken to the hospital. They ran tons of tests and even a CT scan to make sure she wasn't bleeding internally. Everything checked out. It's just ugly and quite painful."

"Why didn't I get called? Why is Beca here and not me?" Chloe could tell the blonde was feeling slightly betrayed and more than a little hurt by this.

"Apparently this division works differently. Her partner doesn't exactly know you, and I believe Stacie is the one who called Beca. And the only reason she called anyone was because her sergeant wouldn't let her drive. She knew you'd worry too much – kind of like when I freaked out after Beca's incident. I picked up Stacie's car while Beca went to get Stacie."

"I still should have been called." Aubrey wiped her tears and gathered her composure. "Okay, let's do this." Stacie was laying propped up in their bed with the covers folded below her waist. She had a few visible gauze bandages on her neck by her shirt collar and what looked like ice packs all around her chest and abdomen.

The taller brunette was trying to swing at Beca who was perched on the side of the bed. "Quit. Making. Me. Laugh. You know it hurts like hell." Stacie was fighting her laughter and holding her mid-section at the same time.

When Aubrey cleared her throat, Beca looked over her shoulder at the blonde and redhead who were glaring at her from the doorway. She gave Stacie a sheepish grin and mouthed, "I'm sorry." Beca got up and went to stand by Chloe as Aubrey approached the bed.

She cautiously bent down and gave Stacie a kiss as she placed a hand on the side of her face. "Hey there."

"Hey back."

"Are you okay?" Stacie nodded. "May I sit down or is that going to hurt?"

"Please sit… that little midget has been sitting there doing nothing but making me laugh. At least now I'll have someone here who will take care of me." The tall cop was trying to make light of the situation but that didn't ease Aubrey's concerns. Beca and Chloe made themselves scarce so that the other two could talk.

Aubrey leaned in closer to her girlfriend to lightly kiss her forehead and shuddered at the chill of the ice packs across her body. She instinctively pulled the covers over Stacie's mid-section and arms, all the way up to her chin. "Thanks babe."

They took their time talking through everything that happened from the time that Stacie was shot through her decision to call Beca and not her girlfriend. In her heart of hearts, Aubrey knew it was the best choice but needed to hear why Stacie had done it. "I didn't want you to hear about this without Chloe, and she was still at school." Aubrey leaned in to again gently kiss the brunette.

"Ice my mid-section off and on for forty-eight hours. I can take ibuprofen for the pain. After that, we'll see how it goes. I can't report for work until I'm cleared by the doctor. Most guys are back after only a few days, but all bulletproof vest injuries are different, and this…" she motioned to her injured area, "seems a little intense."

Stacie removed the icepacks and pulled up her shirt. Together, she and Aubrey undid the compression bandages the hospital had wrapped around her. Aubrey inhaled loudly when she saw. "Bree, it's okay. They are just bruises." Stacie tried to console Aubrey who was even more upset now. When they heard Aubrey's gasp, both Chloe and Beca came running in, thinking something was wrong. This was the first either of them had seen the injuries as well. Beca felt even more guilty for not calling her best friend's girlfriend sooner as the injuries looked far worse than she had realized.

Deep purple bruising mottled the police officer's entire stomach. The blonde gently touched the cold skin fearing the worst. "I promise Bree. It's okay. I'm okay." Stacie couldn't think of anything else to say but to repeat her consoling words. Aubrey's hands were quivering as she traced the discoloration on her girlfriend's abdomen. "Come over here." Stacie patted the other side of the bed. Aubrey shook her head, refusing to move. "Why not baby?"

"I don't want to hurt you." The blonde was whispering as if her words might cause her girlfriend pain.

"Pshaw. I'm tougher than that. Get into some comfortable clothes and crawl into bed with me? Please?" What Stacie needed most was to comfort her girlfriend while receiving the same consolation herself.

Finally, Aubrey relented and changed into a loose-fitting t-shirt and some sweats. She got into the other side of bed and slowly scooted her way over to her girlfriend, eyes glued on Stacie's face to ensure there were no signs of pain. "Much better. Thank you." They remained side by side enjoying each other's company for a while, Aubrey with her head on Stacie's shoulder, afraid to touch her ribs or stomach.

* * *

After time passed, Aubrey felt Stacie's body shifting. When she looked up, she saw Stacie wincing as she fought back her laughter. "Watch this Bree. See that bell?" Aubrey looked over at the bedside table and saw a school teacher bell which one of Chloe's students had given her as a present. She grinned and nodded at Aubrey to ring the bell.

Immediately both Chloe and Beca were at the door. "I may end up regretting loaning you that bell Stace. What do you need?" Beca was grinning at her best friend knowing all the while that she would do anything Stacie asked.

"I was thinking maybe you could order Thai? For all of us? Because I've missed the hell out of my friends. I mean, I don't want to get shot just to spend time with you because it hurts like a bitch, but since you are here…"

"Sure thing boss." Beca turned to go find the menus in the kitchen.

"What else do you need Stacie?" Chloe smiled at how relaxed Aubrey was now that she knew Stacie was truly okay. "Is it time for new ice packs?"

"I believe so. And how about some tea? I'm sure my girlfriend here would appreciate it." Stacie glanced over and grinned at Aubrey. "How about some organic ginger tea? Lower both of our stress levels some."

"Sounds perfect," Aubrey whispered as she went to move off the bed to go make the tea.

"Stay right there Bree. I know how to do it, and you need to relax with your woman."

After Chloe left, Stacie grinned at her girlfriend then pointed at the bell. "Best thing Beca has ever brought me! Ha ha She's going to regret it."

"Never, she loves you and would never be sorry for anything she does for you. But I have to admit, the bell is a pretty ingenious idea."

The couple lay in bed for a while before Chloe brought in a tray with the tea makings. She knew how particular Aubrey was with her tea as well as how her best friend needed to be in control. Therefore, she brought the leaves, press, water, and cups to allow Aubrey to complete the process herself. Once both women had cups of the strikingly spicy and aromatic brew, Chloe quietly slipped away with the tray.

* * *

Once the food arrived, Stacie had decided she was tired of the bed for the time being and, despite Aubrey's protests, came out to eat at the dinner table. Conversation was kept light as nobody wanted any serious discussions after the events of the day. Stacie desperately wanted to steer all talk away from herself or anything to do with her job.

"So Becs, Selena Gomez? What's it been like? I know you just got back from working with her."

Beca dramatically fell back in her chair. "Interscope Records is like an entirely different universe. After I reread over the contract I signed, I was miffed at how little I was going to be involved. I mean like with Noah, I was in it all up to my elbows. But once I saw this huge conglomeration at this major label and how everything worked, I'm glad I didn't have responsibilities. This– whoa – way above my pay grade right now."

The petite brunette was nervously waving her hands in the air for effect. "I mean, how intimidating is it to turn around in the studio to get a cup of coffee and walk right into Jimmy Iovine who had just 'popped in' to see how things are going. I was so embarrassed."

"What did you do there, at the studio? Other than meet Selena Gomez?"

"I walked the halls looking the pictures of the artists who had recorded there, terrified I was going to run into one of them. I mean – Lady Gaga, Eminem, Dre… What would you do if you were face to face with Madonna?"

"I doubt you would just 'run into' any of them." Aubrey teased. "Seriously what work type stuff did you do? Your job has to be so interesting."

"I guess you could call it being an artistic consultant, maybe? We spent a long time deciphering the lyrics so that the various singers, Selena included, could understand the exact meaning behind the words. It was weird sharing the intimate details of my writing with people I barely knew."

When Chloe had learned what Beca was going to be doing, she knew what inner turmoil that would cause for her girlfriend. She took an entire week off work to make sure she could be there for Beca in person to help support her. Aubrey and Stacie both also knew what this meant for Beca to share such intimate details.

Beca took Chloe's hand in hers and gave her a soft smile. "For example, there is one line we were going over. _Drunk on a feeling, alone with the stars in the sky_. That came from the first time Chloe and I lay in her backyard, drinking wine and watching the stars. Right when we first started dating. That's also the night Chloe and I shared our first kiss."

"Pretty intense there, buddy." Stacie enjoyed teasing her friend, especially to ease her angst.

After the first day going through the lyrics, when Selena learned that Beca's muse was in LA, she insisted on meeting Chloe. Of course, the redhead freaked out until Beca told her Selena wasn't much older than Hailee and just as friendly. Beca had cautioned her girlfriend that she needed to stop idolizing the artists she worked with so much because they were just regular people. However, when Selena insisted on taking selfies with Chloe and gave her an autographed picture for her classroom, that just blew Beca's words out of the water.

* * *

Aubrey took several vacation days so she could spend with Stacie while she was off work. One afternoon, she came into the bedroom, dragged a suitcase out of the closet, and dropped it on the bed to start packing. "Ummm Aubrey – are you going someplace?" Stacie was always humored at how Aubrey got when she was on a mission.

"We… are going on a mini-vacation. I know you are probably tired of being stuck in this house, so I booked us on a few days trip down in Savannah – on Tybee Island to be exact. A cute little private cottage right on the beach." Aubrey was clearly packing for both of them, so Stacie just took a seat in one of the chairs to watch.

"Don't say that you aren't up to a four-hour drive. We are flying. There are multiple direct flights to Savannah and it seemed to be such a shame to spend time cooped up on a car, especially with your ribs, when we could be spending that time on the beach."

"Well okay then Bree." Stacie watched her determined girlfriend expertly pack all the essentials and just smiled. Not a day went by that she doubted her love for this woman and realized how lucky she was to have her in her life.

* * *

When they arrived at the cottage, Aubrey unpacked their bags into the drawers while Stacie opened all the window coverings and the windows. The fresh smell of the ocean air filling the tiny house was intoxicating. When Aubrey suggested they change into their bikinis and get out in the sunshine, Stacie balked because of her bruises. "They are even uglier now that they are healing, all green and yellow. I don't want anyone to see them babe."

The blonde took her girlfriend's face in her hands and kissed her gently. "Stace, I love you so much, and I don't care what your stomach looks like. We came here to relax in the sun. Besides, the bikini is for me so that I can watch your sexy self walk next to me. Who cares what others think?" Eventually Stacie relented and allowed Aubrey to help her change into her bikini. They made their way to the beach which was truly right out their backdoor.

The women had discovered a little diner which was about a five-minute walk from their beach house. The owner and cook was a retired police officer, so Stacie dragged Aubrey there a couple of times to get a greasy flat-top cooked burger. The two officers exchanged war stories despite Stacie having only the one, but she obviously enjoyed visiting with the kindred spirit.

Stacie also found a casual dockside seafood restaurant with amazing sunset views. Stacie sent Beca a link to the establishment's live cam. Of course, there was always FaceTime, but there was also fun to be had for their friends to login in and see if they could find them sitting at their table during dinner.

Despite not doing much of anything the next few days but wander up and down the beach, lay in the sun, and eat, the couple had a wonderful time. Stacie was feeling more peaceful and better about going back to work. "This has been so relaxing Bree. I think this trip is exactly the break we needed. Thank you so much. I'm not sure what I could have ever done to deserve you."

* * *

All too soon the time came for the pair to return to Atlanta. As they drove back to the Savanna airport, they had the radio on listening to a local radio station. Suddenly Aubrey at Stacie swatted a few times to get her to be quiet and turned up the radio. Both were quiet as they listened to the song playing. As the final strums of the guitar faded, Stacie looked at Aubrey. "Was that…?"

Then then announcer came on. "Welcome back listeners. That was _Hurt Somebody_ by Noah Kahland & Beca Mitchell, a new single that is screaming up the charts like nobody's business." Both Stacie and Aubrey screamed at the same time excitedly talking about hearing Beca's song on the radio for the first time.

"Chloe's going to flip her shit when I tell her. I'm going to call as soon as we turn in the rental car."

While Stacie was tickled to hear her best friend's song, she was being a bit possessive of her girlfriend. "Hey babe – can it wait until we get back? This is still our time."

* * *

 _Wolves_ – Selena Gomez & Marshmello


	16. Surprise for THE Beca Mitchell

_Several months later_

"Theo! You do know that you called me and not Beca right?" Chloe was confused when she saw the British man's scruffy face appear on her phone's screen.

"You really think I could confuse your gorgeous scarlet head of hair with her? How are you?" The pair exchanged pleasantries before Theo got to the real reason behind his phone call. "I presume Beca is pretty protective of her phone?"

"Attached with super glue. Unless she's buried deep in her music which is quite often these days."

"Any chance of getting it from her tonight… ummm and hide it until tomorrow afternoon? I need her to not get any calls or see social media... check her e-mail… you know."

Chloe burst out laughing. "Not asking for much, are you? Luckily Beca isn't really into all that too much, but she's going to flip out without her phone. However, I think I have some ideas on how to distract her." Chloe waggled her eyebrows suggestively which made Theo blush.

After a bit more conversation and not much explanation, Theo told her where and when she and Beca should show up the next day. He knew Chloe didn't have much of a poker face and couldn't bear to keep a secret from her girlfriend. He didn't want to chance her blurting out the surprise to Beca.

* * *

 _The Next Morning_

"Fuck! Fuck, damn it, fuck!" Beca was tearing up the bedroom then moved to the rest of the house. "Chloe? CHLOE! Have you seen my phone?"

"What was that Becs?" Chloe came out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her hair.

"Uhhhh yeah, ummm," Beca immediately stopped her searching as her eyes focused in on her auburn-haired girlfriend who was standing there naked in all her beautiful glory. "Phone, errr have you seen it?"

Chloe sauntered over to the tiny brunette. "I'm standing in front of you," she motioned to her body, "like this, and you are concerned about your phone?"

Swallowing, trying to gather some moisture in her throat, Beca struggled to speak, "Ummm yeah, I errrr, can't find my phone." Chloe closed the gap and put her hands on Beca's shoulders, pulling her in. "Yup, that's what I'm looking for, my phone, but I guess it can wait." She leaned forward to kiss Chloe who suddenly turned and walked back to the bathroom. "Hey, come back here."

"When's the last you saw it babe?" Chloe had turned off Beca's phone the night before and tucked it deep within her purse, somewhere she knew where it wouldn't be found. Right now, she was just having fun messing with her girlfriend.

Beca followed her to the bathroom and watched appreciatively. She licked her lips. "Ummm yesterday?" She reached towards Chloe again for some affection, and Chloe put her hand out to hold Beca at arm's length. "Not fair," Beca whined. "I can't find my phone and now I can't kiss you? This is not my day." Beca's grumbles only made the redhead chuckle.

Chloe launched the FindMyPhone app on her own phone and handed it to Beca. "Here babe, just use this to locate your phone." She pushed her phone into Beca's hands knowing the app wouldn't work since Beca's phone was powered off. But it was still fun to watch.

* * *

"But Chloe, I had my phone at the house last night. I know I didn't leave it at work." Beca was beyond aggravated at her girlfriend who insisted they go by the studio to search the offices there.

"Just humor me Becs. This is the last place it could possibly be. If we can't find it here, we'll immediately go and upgrade your phone. Brand new, best of the best. I promise." She patted Beca's knee and leaned over to give her a kiss. "Come on."

Beca unlocked the door and flipped on some of the lights so they could safely make their way up the stairs. She started her search in the studio she had used yesterday. Chloe was standing at the door to the main conference room, the largest meeting room in the building. She rattled the door knob. "Babe, let's look in here."

"I didn't have meetings yesterday babe." Beca's frustration level was quickly boiling over, so Chloe knew she had to move the process forward quickly.

She gently grasped Beca's elbow and led her to the door. "Let's take a look anyway." She opened the door, and when a room full of people screamed at the same time, the short brunette stumbled backwards in shock.

"Congrats!" "Beca!" "Woo hoo!" Everyone was clapping and cheering. Beca was obviously clueless as to what was happening. There was a banner stretched across the room – "Congratulations to THE Beca Mitchell." All the studio staff was there, Theo, Beca's agent, everyone. Even Stacie and Aubrey were there.

Theo handed Beca and Chloe full glasses of champagne. He then raised his glass and said, "A toast. A toast to THE Beca Mitchell – not one, not two, but THREE-time Grammy nominated songwriter and producer. Not bad for a freshman! Congratulations to Beca."

"To Beca." Glasses clinked and everyone drained their glasses and again began clapping and cheering. Beca hadn't moved a bit; she was frozen, in shock.

Since Theo hadn't told her what the surprise was about, Chloe, too, was surprised, but recovered much more quickly. "Becs… I am so proud of you. Drink up."

"What do you mean Theo?" Beca's voice was quiet. Her friend's toast hadn't quite made sense to her.

"Okay, you know the big music show they do once a year? They give out golden trophies of old school record players." Theo was being jokingly sarcastic. "The Grammys? Kinda famous. You were nominated Beca, three times." He nodded to Chloe who handed Beca her phone which she had powered back on. The phone was going off like crazy with notifications.

"I had Chloe temporarily commandeer your phone because as you can now tell, it's blowing up with messages, calls and texts from everyone and their dogs about the nominations. We," he motioned to the people in the room, "wanted your first Grammy notification to be special."

Chloe leaned over, kissed Beca, and whispered in her ear. "You still can have a new phone though babe."

Slowly, Beca became more and more animated. She drained her champagne, and then let out a large yell. When she started to jump up and down, Chloe was convinced she finally understood the enormity of the announcement.

After several glasses of champagne where consumed, Theo asked, "So Becs, aren't you even curious to know the nominations?"

The tiny songwriter had her arm around her girlfriend, happy as could be. "Does it even matter? I only have two songs out. But yeah."

"Record of the Year which is awarded to the performer and the production team of a single song – _Hurt Somebody_. And two Song of the Year nominations which is awarded to the songwriter for again, _Hurt Somebody_ as well as _Wolves._ You did good freshman; you did good."

* * *

The enormity of the recent announcement was incredibly overwhelming the musician. Because she had been so busy, Beca had not been talking to her therapist on a regular basis. While she was in a much better place than she had been in many years, she decided that making another appointment with Lyla might be a good idea.

"Well Beca, it's been a while. How have you been?"

After taking a deep breath and releasing it, the ex-cop spoke. "Busy, that's for sure." She spent quite a bit of time sharing the recent events of her life with Lyla. "You and Chloe were right. Music is exactly what I needed to get my 'groove back'. And for that, I thank you." She then explained about the two songs she sold along with some other projects on which she was working.

"I'm glad to hear that things are going well with you. What brings you in to see me this afternoon?" Lyla was delighted to see the improvements in Beca but knew there was a larger underlying reason for her visit.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine I could be in this position. I mean I'm just a disabled, retired Atlanta police officer."

Lyla leaned forward in her chair and steepled her hands on the desk. "Beca, you… have never been _just_ an Atlanta police office. From what I've learned, you are a very talented musician who only walked away from the industry because your mother passed away. Singer, songwriter, producer; did I miss anything?"

Beca chuckled. "Lyla, you give me too much credit."

"Look you have no reason to doubt yourself, your abilities. You have a loving girlfriend who thinks you hung the moon. And these pop-stars, do you really think they want to sing your songs because you are tiny and adorable?"

At this, Beca blushed. "I guess I'm just stressed Lyla."

"That's fair, but we've established that you deserve where you are in your life and the direction it is taking."

"But a freshman songwriter being nominated for three Grammys? Do I deserve that"

"What?!" Her client had left that part out of the early conversation, and Lyla was ecstatic to learn the news. "Beca, _that_ is incredible. Congratulations. And without a doubt, the answer is yes, you do deserve that. And never let yourself tell you anything less."

After talking a bit longer, Beca felt tremendously better about her situation and more emotionally stable. She made a mental note to have Chloe watch her schedule more closely and make appointments with Lyla whenever she was in town.

* * *

 _Two Months Later_

Since the Grammy announcements had been made, the offers had been pouring in for Beca. Artists were clamoring for her songs; since she wasn't on contract with a label, production companies were coming out of the woodwork. An industry freshman earning Grammy nominations in those categories was nearly unheard of.

People wanted a piece of Beca Mitchell before she won because if she actually won this early in her career, she'd be virtually unattainable. Luckily, she had an incredible agent, and she had Theo. Just as Chloe grounded Beca emotionally, Theo protected her in the music business. Beca did not touch any business without his approval which was perfectly okay with her. He served as her second agent of sorts, with benefits, since he often jumped into projects she ended up going with.

Despite being quite selective, Theo's choices still kept Beca busy which was actually healthy for her as it kept her mind off of the upcoming Grammy award show. Her trips to Los Angeles were frequent, but her contracts always stipulated that Chloe be allowed to join her at any time at the record company expense. The couple took advantage of that clause frequently.

The redhead would always fly in for the weekend, and she would make sure Beca took a well-deserved break from work. Disneyland was one of the places they loved to visit along with the Santa Monica Pier. Chloe even convinced Beca to go on the tall Ferris Wheel on the pier with her one night.

"It'll be so romantic Becs. The sky is so clear that we'll be able to see for miles and the stars are the same as the ones we can see in our backyard." Once Beca conquered her fear, she admitted to Chloe that it wasn't that bad after all and the view was indeed beautiful. She knew that with Chloe, all things were possible, even her greatest fears melted away.

* * *

When Beca was between projects and at home in Atlanta, she made sure to visit her former piano students at Chloe's school. While she did not have time to give private lessons as before, the students were quite impressed that some of the songs on the radio were written by their former tutor. One afternoon, Beca showed up at Josh's school. She had former guitar students there as well she wanted to see.

Tommy, a little sixth grader the previous year, had grown almost a foot or so it seemed since Beca saw him last. He was secretly Beca's favorite pupil, but she certainly didn't admit that out loud. When he saw her, he came bolting over and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Miss Beca, Miss Beca, where've you been? We've missed you." The other students gathered around as well.

She laughed as she ruffled the gangly boy's hair despite the fact he was now taller than her. "I've been working Tommy, but I've missed you guys, too."

"We've been waiting for you to come see us. I have a question." Beca motioned for Tommy to keep going. "That guitar song you taught us, the one Mr. Josh helped you with… we never got to hear you sing it."

"No, no you didn't."

"We learned it really well though. You're a good teacher. And Miss Beca, I think I've heard it on the radio." Tommy was so excited he could barely keep still.

"You… are exactly right Tommy. Noah Kahan recorded it, and radio stations play it all the time."

The kids all cheered. "I knew it! Wow, you must be famous! There's a lady who sings with him. Her voice sure is pretty."

Beca chuckled. "I'll make sure I let them both know what big fans you are. I have one more secret for you then I need to talk to Mr. Josh." She made her voice really quiet like what she was going to say was a secret as she talked to the students. "That song got nominated for a Grammy. So you can tell people that you learned to play it before anyone else in the world even heard it."

Josh shooed the giggly students away so he could talk to Beca in private. "I heard you got nominated for three Grammys Beca. Congrats, and to think – I know you back when…"

Beca gave him a sheepish grin as she handed him an envelope. "I came by to give you this,"

He opened it and pulled out a check. His eyes grew wide when he saw the amount. "Mitchell, what the hell is this?"

"Your paycheck."

"Beca this is way too much. All I did was help you put a sound with a song, artist to artist. You don't need to pay me, especially not this much."

"Look Josh, without your help, I may have never gotten that song to the point where I did. My agent let me know that house musicians should always get a decent check and that dinner doesn't count."

"I don't know what to say Beca. Thank you."

"I'll be doing some work with some new artists here in Atlanta. Just say that when I need a guitarist for a house project that you'll help out. Next time… under a proper contract."

* * *

 _December_

Few artists wanted to work over the holidays, so Beca was fortunate to be able to devote that time to Chloe. Anything work related needed to be done could be accomplished from the Atlanta recording studio or via Skype. Chloe had been begging for Beca to go home with her for Christmas so she could meet her family.

While she hated disappointing her girlfriend, Beca explained that she was exhausted from travelling back and forth to Los Angeles. She didn't think that she could handle a trip to Oregon, but she promised to make it up to her girlfriend soon. She also asked if Chloe wouldn't mind stay in Atlanta for the holidays so they could spend time together.

Beca was so apologetic and remorseful for her request, Chloe had no idea that her girlfriend was secretly plotting with Aubrey behind her back. The redhead's best friend coordinated bringing Chloe's parents and little brother to Atlanta for a few days at Christmas. While keeping the secret was difficult, Aubrey knew that Chloe would be quick to forgive when she saw her family.

The tiny songwriter arranged for her girlfriend's family to stay at the same posh hotel that she had sent Aubrey and Stacie to, mainly because of the rave reviews the couple had given it. First class plane tickets made sure they would be as comfortable as possible throughout the long flight. She was going send a car to pick the Beale family up at the airport, but Stacie suggested that Aubrey and Chloe pick them up. Chloe would be that much more surprised.

* * *

A grumpy Chloe was in the passenger seat of her best friend's car. "Explain to me again exactly who travels out of town on the 23rd of December and why _you_ have to be the one to pick them up from the airport?" She was still whiney because she wasn't going to see her family this Christmas. While she understood and respected Beca's reasoning, she still missed her parents.

"I told you Chlo. He's my boss's boss. I don't ask questions about why. I just was asked to pick him up, so I don't have much of a choice in the matter." Aubrey tried her best to act stern with her best friend knowing that, soon, all her consternation would be turned into joy. Aubrey pulled into the cell-phone waiting lot and waited for the text that would let her know the Beales had their luggage and were ready to be picked up. Chloe had decided she'd sulk the rest of the trip and just leaned up against the car door trying to act as bored as could be.

When Aubrey got the text message, she started the car and headed to baggage claim, her best friend still pouting in the passenger seat. "You are acting like such an insolent child." Chloe stuck out her tongue at the blonde and gave her a small smile. When Aubrey approached the curb, she said, "Will you sit in the back seat on the way back please? This guy is pretty important in our company." This request infuriated the redhead even more.

Recognizing Chloe's family, Aubrey pulled past them a little bit and put the car into park. Chloe flung open the door, got out, and started to stomp back to get in the rear seat. Then, she saw her dad. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Dad? Mom?" When she realized her eyes were not deceiving her, she ran to her parents and practically tackled them in a hug in true Chloe form.

Her brother then tapped her on the shoulder. "What am I? Chopped liver?" She grabbed him, too, and hugged her entire family tightly.

Chloe's shoulders were shaking as she cried into her mother's embrace. Eventually she pulled back and wiped her tears with the collar of her t-shirt. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Merry Christmas baby." Her mother smiled lovingly at her daughter. "I believe we are your Christmas present from your very nice girlfriend."

Chloe whipped around and looked at Aubrey. "You knew about this?"

The blonde nodded. "Who do you think planned it? Your little munchkin doesn't have the time or patience to pull something like this off. But unlike you, all of us can keep a secret."

They loaded the suitcases into the trunk, and Chloe's little brother immediately crawled into the front seat. He always had a crush on the blonde since Chloe met her in college. "Fred, I hate to break it to you but Aubrey's spoken for now." He looked at Aubrey who nodded. "By a cop, so I'd be careful if I were you." Everyone in the car laughed. Now Chloe had no problem riding in the back seat as she was safely snuggled between her parents.

When Aubrey arrived at the hotel, the bellhop unloaded the luggage as Aubrey went to check them into the hotel. She came back with four sets of keys, giving one to Chloe's parents, one to her brother, and one to Chloe. "Bree?" Chloe stood there waiting for an explanation.

"We are all staying here. Four nights. All thanks to your awesome girlfriend. Merry Christmas Chloe. Stacie and Beca will get here with our bags after Stacie gets off work." They arranged a time to meet later for dinner then Aubrey sent the Beales off to unpack and rest.

"Bree?" The redhead looked at her friend with hopeful eyes then looked back at her parents.

"Yes Chloe. I'll be okay alone. You can go with them." Chloe clapped her hands in delight and went to catch the elevator to ride up with her parents.

When Chloe was gone, Aubrey made it up to her room and called Beca to let her know that the packages had arrived safely and that the redhead was with her family. "Beca she was pouting so bad until we got there. But I think you are totally forgiven for not going to Portland."

"Thanks for doing this Aubrey. Sucks that Stacie has to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but I'm glad she'll get to spend some time with us. We'll see you soon."

* * *

 **A/N: One more chapter after this** **one and an epilogue.**


	17. Showtime

_January_

"I tried guys." Beca was putting on a sad face for Stacie and Aubrey. "I thought I had more pull, but I guess I am still just a small fish in a big pond." Chloe was holding her hand up over her face to hide her sniggers. Stacie had begged her best friend to try to get them tickets to the Grammys. "I couldn't get you floor seats. I tried." She frowned at the tall cop.

"Come on, you have three nominations. Surely they can spring for two damned tickets. I don't give a fuck about floor seats Mitchell. I just want to get my girl in the door."

Beca's eyes widened in mock shock. "Hey there Conrad, no need to get testy. Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" She tossed a fancy envelope across the table to her best friend. "There you go. Balcony seats, front row, as close to the stage as I could get you. Don't say I never got you anything."

Aubrey gave a shriek and wrapped her arms around Stacie giving her a deep kiss. Beca cleared her throat and said, "Hey Posen, she didn't get you the tickets. I did."

"Well I can't kiss you like that, now can I?" Aubrey gave Beca a long hug.

The four women laughed. Beca continued. "These tickets do come with conditions."

"I do still carry a gun Mitchell." Stacie threatened knowing Beca was just teasing.

"No, I'm serious. You know how much I hate shopping. Aubrey, will you take Chloe shopping for her red-carpet dress?" She scrunched up her face and plugged her ears for the shriek she knew was coming.

"Red carpet?! I'm going on the red carpet?" Chloe was nearly hyperventilating.

"Ummm I'm sure Aubrey would come instead if I asked her. Of course, you are going on the red carpet. You are my girlfriend, my partner, my plus one, my muse, my everything." Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca and squeezed. Hard. "Errr Chloe, I can't breathe."

When both Aubrey and Chloe had sufficiently calmed down, Beca threw them another curveball. "Hey Stacie, Atlanta isn't known to be a fashion capitol, is it?" Stacie shook her head. "And LA is just so LA." Stacie nodded. "Would you mind if our women went to New York for a few days to do their shopping?"

Of course, this started the hysterics again. Finally, Aubrey caught her breath. "Beca, you don't have to do this. I'm sure we can find suitable dresses here in Atlanta."

"Oh, I'm not doing anything Bree. Two different labels have gotten Grammy nods because of me this year. They are definitely picking up the tab. So… New York?"

* * *

When Hailee Steinfield heard that her favorite producer's long-lost, tiny, adorable college pal was nominated for three Grammys, she sent her personal assistant along with a fashion consultant to Atlanta. "Ms. Mitchell, Hailee insists that I handle arrangement for your awards outfit. Please, I can't disappoint her."

Aubrey and Chloe had gone to New York, so neither of them were there to persuade Beca to listen, to accept their help, and to quit being a butt. The small brunette finally caved when the assistant threatened to get Theo involved who would in turn call Hailee. "And then I'll get in trouble."

After going through several outfits, the determination was made that all dresses were out. The consultant dug around in the wardrobe and finally found something that met Beca's approval. It was a men's style grey checked pantsuit over a lacy black top. "Absolutely sexy and perfectly you Ms. Mitchell." She then dug out the shoes that went with the ensemble.

"Ummm no, nope, nuh uh, no way. No pink pumps. None for me. Get. Those. Away. From. Me."

By now the consultant was used to Beca's complaints and was able to better handle her. She chided the songwriter sternly. "Look Ms. Mitchell. You are walking the red carpet at the Grammys. For the first time, I might add. You are all of, what, 5'2"? You will indeed wear these pumps. Moreover, I'm leaving them here with you to practice so that in two weeks, when it's time for you to walk said red carpet, you will do so with style and grace." Hailee's assistant couldn't help but to laugh out loud. Theo was going to love it when she told him about this.

The fashion consultant pinned up the pantsuit so that proper alterations could be made. She handed Beca an index card. "In addition to practicing your walk, memorize these."

"Balmain, La Perla, Casadei? What the fuck?"

"That's who you will are wearing, the designers. When the press asks you, you need to make sure you give credit where it's due. Do not embarrass me Ms. Mitchell. You'll need my services again, I'm sure."

* * *

Meanwhile, in New York, Aubrey and Chloe were having the time of their lives. An appointment had been made at Barney's in the exclusive, private area of the famous department store. If the women could not find what they liked here, the buyers would reach out to other places and find exactly what was desired. Of course, the pair would shop for the fun elsewhere in the city, but for the award show, this was the place.

"Do you think this is too much Bree?" Chloe stepped out of the dressing room in one of her favorite outfits.

"Too much Chlo? Or too little?" Her best friend was shocked at what the redhead had chosen. The red dress was styled much like a cape and stopped way above her knees, showing plenty of thigh. The v-neck line extended far past her breasts showing off a great deal of cleavage. "Sweetie, I know you are excited about walking the red carpet, I really do. But remember you are going to be on national television. Your colleagues, your students, and your students' parents are going to be watching. Are you sure you want to show them this much skin?"

Chloe's face fell. "I guess you are right Bree." She handed the assistant the dress. "Put this aside anyway; I still want it." She turned back to her friend. "There will be lots of other occasions for that, and Beca will love it. Now back to the drawing board."

Eventually the redhead chose an interesting dress with a pink top and red bottom. While her shoulders and arms were exposed, it was more in line with something her school would envision as appropriate for student eyes. The length went down to right below her calves.

Meanwhile Aubrey had selected a perfect black outfit with long sleeves that was cut mid-thigh to show off her long legs. There were jewel designs around the neck and waist along with two arrow cut outs to show just enough skin around her mid-section to make it provocative.

* * *

After the Barney bees, as Chloe affectionately called them, took measurements, selected shoes, and even accessories including handbags and earrings, the friends left the huge department store without having to even carry a single bag. After alterations, Barney's would arrange to have the outfits couriered to their hotels in plenty of time for the Grammys.

Despite the spread of snacks and drinks that were at the department store, Chloe and Aubrey opted for a late lunch at a fashionable eatery with outside patio dining. "How did we get so lucky Bree?" Chloe was still glowing at the dress buying experience and being treated like they were stars.

"I'm not sure Chloe, but I will be forever thankful that these two women came into our lives. I could not have chosen a better partner for you than Beca Mitchell. I'm feel fortunate that she allows me to be such a big part of your experiences like this."

Chloe grasped both of her friend's hands. "You will always be a part of my life, just like Stacie will always be a part of Beca's. Both of our women have come a long way, that's for sure. And you know as well as I do that as perfect as Beca is for me, Stacie is for you."

* * *

Thanks to the generosity of the record companies, the best friends had the time or their lives. They had a private car and driver who took them anywhere they asked to go. They visited museums, zoos in three of the boroughs, and several of the iconic buildings with gorgeous views such as the Empire State Building. The pair even bundled up and went ice skating at Rockefeller Center.

Afterwards, they were warming up with hot chocolate, Aubrey got an idea. "Hey Chloe, the royal treatment we are getting… I wonder how far we can push it." The redhead looked at her friend with a questioning face. "I have an idea."

The next time they got back into the car, they were chatting with the driver about ideas of things they could do that night. Aubrey took a deep breath. "Jerry, what are our chances of scoring Broadway tickets at such a late date?"

The driver laughed. "I was wondering if this question would come up. Normally it's the first people ask. It depends on what you want to go see."

"I'm not sure it really matters. I'm a huge theatre nerd, and this is our first time in the Big Apple and all, so I've never seen a Broadway Show. Of course, Hamilton tickets have been sold out for ages. I've always heard the Lion King is amazing. What do you think we could get into tonight or even tomorrow?"

The driver laughed. "Honestly Hamilton is amazing, but it's been on Broadway for two years already. A huge theatre nerd, eh?" He glanced in his mirror at Chloe. "And you work at an elementary school, right?" Chloe nodded. "Hang on, I need to pull over." Jerry whipped into a parking lot and got out his phone to send some texts. After several minutes, he went back to driving. "Done. The show is tomorrow, and it's in two parts. I'm afraid it will take up most of your afternoon and evening." His face was teasing. Jerry liked these two riders as they were so friendly and down to earth, quite unlike many of his customers.

"The eighth story in the _Harry Potter_ series, _Harry Potter and the Cursed Child_. Before you ask, one of the record labels sponsoring your visit has a permanent block of seats at the Lyrics Theatre and there are a pair of seats left for tomorrow."

Chloe was obviously a fan of the arts, but her best friend was the one with the great love of theatre. The blonde was shell shocked. She finally found her voice and managed to squeak out a question. "Are you serious Jerry? If not, you _aren't_ funny. That play was nominated for ten Tony awards this year. Ten! And they won SIX!"

Jerry chuckled as he responded. "Well from what I understand, your friend's partner there was nominated for three Grammys, so you two deserve to see the best play New York City has to offer right now. By the way, since we haven't talked about it yet, I love your girlfriend's songs Chloe. I can't wait to hear more of her music."

The redhead thanked him and made a mental note for Beca to send Jerry a few things to thank him for going above and beyond during their trip to the Big Apple.

* * *

"I don't understand why we have to leave the hotel at 2:30 tomorrow afternoon." Beca had been whining since they had settled into their hotel room. "The show doesn't start until 6:30. Are we seriously going to sit in a limo for that long?"

Chloe was trying to not laugh at her pitiful girlfriend. "Beca, they told us. The limo picks us up at 2:30, then we go to the theatre and get in line with all the other limos. Then one by one, cars drop people off. There are tons of fans and gobs of press, and then we walk down the red carpet." She gave her girlfriend a chaste kiss. "You get pulled off for interviews with various people. I stand in the background and look pretty because I'm the arm candy." Chloe rolled her eyes playfully. "Such a hard job, but somebody has to do it."

Beca gave her a crooked grin. "You are my gorgeous arm candy." In a rare move, she grabbed Chloe and threw her down on the bed. "Have I told you how much I love you lately?"

The redhead nodded, "Yes but you can tell me again."

With her arms stretched way out, Beca smiled. "I love you thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much." She then brought her hands to Chloe's sides and tickled her. "Thanks Chloe. Thanks for loving me and for never giving up on me and for helping me get my music back. I love you so much."

* * *

Because both women would indeed be in the public eye that day, hair and make-up artists came to their hotel room Sunday morning. As much as Beca grumbled and complained, Chloe loved all the pampering. When the fashion consultant came in with Beca's outfit, the fit was perfect. She slipped on the pumps and muttered under her breath, "Yes I practiced." She also spouted each designer's name when prompted.

Beca had been quiet about her clothes because she wanted to surprise her girlfriend once she was completely ready for the ceremony. Chloe's back was turned when Beca walked into the room. Her make-up artist gave a raised eyebrow and whispered into Chloe's ear. "Someone's here to see you." He turned her chair around for her to see Beca for the first time. Chloe clapped her hands over her mouth. "Hey, hey, hey now, no crying my dear. You'll mess up my work." The make-up guy laughed and gave Chloe a tissue.

"Baby, you look beautiful."

"You like?"

"Like? I love!" Chloe made the make-up artist keep her chair turned so she could stare at her girlfriend. "You are so gorgeous. I can't believe we are here Beca. I get to walk down the red carpet with the love of my life. You have been telling me this is _your_ dream come true. After seeing you, I am perfectly convinced _you_ are _my_ dream come true."

* * *

The long wait in the limo wasn't bad. Every so often, they would drive forward a car length then stop. Since Theo rode with them, Beca spent the time making it quite clear to him that, unless it was for a picture or interview, that Chloe would be on her arm every moment. She even went as far as to threaten him with bodily harm if he tried to separate her from the redhead. Knowing how nervous she was, Theo didn't take her threats seriously.

Eventually it was their turn at the curb. The attendants opened the door and Theo climbed out first. He held his hand out and, at Beca's insistence, helped Chloe out first, and then the Grammy nominee. While the crowd wasn't yet familiar with Beca's face, they certainly did know her songs. When they realized who she was, the fans began clamoring for selfies and autographs. Beca obliged a few of the teen fans then was pulled along by Theo who know how overwhelming the first red carpet trip could be.

Beca kept Chloe on her arm while Theo walked on her other side. They stopped at each set of cameras for pictures. Often when Chloe would try to hang back, the photographers would encourage her to stand next to Beca who happily placed her arms around her girlfriend. The tiny songwriter also posed with Noah and Selena along the way.

Theo had steered clear of most of the reporters outside on the red carpet. "Theo, Theo, Theo, who're the gorgeous ladies? Theo!"

He just grinned. All he would say is, "I bet after tonight, you'll know exactly who they are." Later, Beca asked him why he didn't say anything to the press. "They should have done their homework! As an industry freshman, you are in the running for three Grammys. They should know everything about you down to your fucking shoe size. Dumb asses." He seemed almost annoyed. "They don't deserve an easy answer."

"Seven."

Theo looked at her strangely. "What?"

"My shoe size. Seven." The three of them burst out laughing.

* * *

As they walked into Madison Square Garden, Beca was amazed at the star power surrounding them. These were singers she grew up listening to, songwriters and producers she aspired to be. Chloe was in awe as well as she tried not to fan-girl and point out every famous person she saw since they were literally surrounded by them.

Many people stopped Theo to speak with him. Inside the venue, Theo always introduced THE Beca Mitchell and her beautiful girlfriend Chloe. When Beca finally got a chance to ask him why he would tell these people who she was but not the ones outside, he responded. "Because many of these people are your future employers and clients."

Eventually they made it to their seats. Chloe, who was still latched onto Beca's side, whispered, "Beca we are here, WE are at the Grammys!"

While the brunette was ecstatic that Chloe was having such a good time, she was nervous as hell. Beca realized what an honor it was to be nominated for even a single award – ever – but her first year in the industry as a producer or songwriter and getting three nominations was unheard of. She thought about all her hard work at college. Losing her mother. Giving everything up. Becoming a police officer. Losing all of that. And then there was Chloe.

She was convinced that without Chloe, she'd be buried six feet under by now. Beca struggled to fight her tears – tears of heart break and tears of joy. She looked at her girlfriend who was squeezing her hand and whose face was aglow as she looked around at all the star-power around her. She knew that no matter the outcome of tonight's ceremony, she was already a winner.

James Corden was the host for this year's Grammy Award show. Beca and Chloe were big fans and enjoyed watching him on television. His jokes were always spot on, and he really seemed to get the crowd going. During one commercial break, Beca goosed Theo in the ribs. "Hey, do you know James?"

Theo tried to act offended. "Why do people think all Brits know each other? It's not like I know everyone from the U.K." He laughed. "But actually yes, I do know him."

"Good," she teased. "I want you to get me on his show."

"Becs, if tonight goes the way we hope, I don't think you will have any problem garnering invites to any show you want."

Chloe leaned over and whispered to Theo. "Well she will do his show on one condition – she, well WE, get to do carpool karaoke!"

When the Brit had a strange reaction to the request, Beca whispered. "Long story bro, I'll tell you later." Several music acts played, awards were given, and speeches made. The longer the ceremony went on, the more Beca's nerves were on edge.

Finally, it was time…

"And this year's Grammy for Record of the Year goes to… _Hurt Somebody_ by Noah Kahan and Beca Mitchell, producers Theo Davies and Beca Mitchell." The cameras spun and caught Beca sitting with her mouth gaping wide open in surprise. Her shocked face was on worldwide television split screen with Noah's.

Per her usual reaction, Chloe leapt up and squealed. "BECA! You won." She pulled her shell-shocked girlfriend to her feet and gave her a huge hug. She didn't let go until Theo grabbed Beca's hand and started pulling her to the stage.

She whispered at him. "Dude, careful. I'm wearing heels! Where are we going? Noah won that award."

"No dipshit, the award goes to the artists and the entire production crew. You pretty much fit into both of those categories."

With Theo's help, Beca made it safely up the stairs and was greeted with an exuberant hug by Noah and the rest of the production staff who each were given a fake trophy. The real ones would be engraved and delivered to them later. Noah stepped up the microphone and held his trophy up in the air.

"Wow I don't know where to start. I'd like to thank my mom and dad. Without them, I wouldn't be here today. Obviously." The crowd laughed. "My agent, And my production crew who is the best." He motioned to the group surrounding him. "And to this little lady." He put his arm around Beca. "Not only did she write this song, she also sang on the record and is a co-producer. So big thank you to Beca Mitchell."

The audience gave the group resounding applause. As they were ushered off stage, Beca could hear a very familiar, albeit faint voice from way up in the cheap seats. "Way to go Mitchell!"

* * *

Lots of champagne was served and pictures taken back stage. For some reason, a stagehand started motioning furiously to Theo. He grabbed Beca's hand, and they quickly made their way back to their seats. At the next commercial break, the seat holders left to allow Theo and Beca to sit down. Chloe was beside herself and couldn't stop doting on her girlfriend. When the people around her discovered she was Beca's girlfriend, they had congratulated her when the tiny producer went on stage. If nothing else, Beca was proud of the award because it brought so much joy to her girlfriend.

When the commercial break was over, Beca quickly found out why Theo rushed them back to their seats. It was time for Song of the Year. The camera panned to her and Chloe twice, once for each nomination. All Beca could do was to stare at her girlfriend and think how lucky she was to have such a gorgeous, incredible, loving woman in her life. If it weren't for the redhead's scream, she would have missed the announcement.

"This year's Grammy for Song of the Year goes to _Wolves,_ songwriter Beca Mitchell."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading folks! All that's left is an epilogue, unless of course anyone is interested in a sequel!**

 **cheers**


	18. Epilogue

Beca raced out of the airport with nothing but her jacket in her hand. She raced to the passenger pick up area and looked for the black, unmarked Dodge Charger with flashing police lights. She saw Stacie standing by the driver's side, waving her arms to get her friend's attention. Beca slid into the passenger side and slapped the dashboard a few times indicating she was ready to go.

"No bags?"

"My assistant is taking care of all of that. Let's go!"

"Sweet deal you got there Mitchell. Personal assistant and all." Stacie hit the siren to accompany the lights in her unmarked patrol car and hauled ass out of the airport.

"Sweet car you have here Lieutenant Conrad. Congrats on the promotion, by the way. You are really working up the ranks quickly. Thanks for picking me up. I could have gotten a car though." Secretly she was glad her best friend driving her.

"Yeah but does your car service have lights and sirens?" Stacie teased Beca to try to ease her friend's tension. When Beca remained silent, Stacie reached over and grabbed her hand. "She's going to be okay Mitchell. I promise."

"I should have been here. Damn it. I should have never left her alone. Not now."

"How did you know the baby would come almost three weeks early?" Stacie tried to steer the conversation in a direction to calm her friend.

"Tell me about Aubrey. How's she doing with all this?"

"Big as a house my friend and miserable. She's probably at the hospital right now jealous as fuck that Chloe went into labor early. You know how competitive she is, and I'm sure she wanted to have our baby first." They both laughed. When they arrived at the hospital in record time, thanks to Stacie's driving, the taller brunette screeched into the emergency zone nearest to the maternity ward. "Oh, the joy of having a badge. This constitutes an emergency, right?"

Beca didn't hear a word that was said as she was quickly out of the car and in a dead sprint to the entrance. "Chloe Beale? Beale-Mitchell? Fuck, I don't know what name she's under. Where is she?" The woman directed her to the maternity ward check in where she had to show ID, was issued a "father bracelet" which allowed access to the ward, and taken to Chloe's room. Stacie was right behind Beca and waved her badge to get through.

"Chloe baby. I'm here." Chloe was laying in the bed, face pale with sweat dripping down her face. Beca wrapped her arms around her wife and held her as the redhead caught her breath from the last round of contractions. "I'm here."

Despite her obvious exhaustion, Chloe managed to find a smile for her wife who had indeed made it in time for their son's birth. "Yes you are here. Sorry baby… he decided he was ready to meet both his mommies in person early."

Beca held Chloe's face with one hand and kissed her cheek. "I am so sorry I wasn't here. I should have never left you this close to your due date."

Her wife covered the hand with her own. "It's okay. You are here now, and that's what counts."

"Thanks to Stacie's driving here." She motioned to her tall friend standing behind her. "I didn't realize how much I've missed lights and sirens on a car."

When Chloe realized Stacie was standing behind Beca her eyes widened. "Stacie? What are you doing in here?" She seemed almost panicked.

"I couldn't let my best friend go through this by herself." Stacie grinned at Chloe.

About that time, a scream of pain came from the adjacent room. A very familiar scream. Stacie's face blanched as she about stumbled over her feet running out of the room.

"Was that…?"

Chloe nodded. "After we got here and I got checked in, Bree was teasing me about the baby coming early. She made a joke about everything being a competition. Suddenly she got an odd look on her face. She looked down and realized that her water had broken. Her labor has actually progressed much more quickly than mine."

The two had been friends since they roomed together in college and did virtually everything together. They had a double wedding and even went so far as to plan their pregnancies in close proximity so they could go through the experiences together. But nobody could have predicted this would happen.

When Beca started laughing, Chloe gave her a strange look. "Oh baby. I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at this." She motioned around the hospital room. "You… and Bree… in labor together. Never in a million years…"

After ensuring that Chloe would be okay for a few minutes, Beca went to check on Aubrey. Chloe was concerned at how fast her friend's labor was progressing and wanted to make sure things were okay. Beca hung out right by the door until the agonizing sounds of labor pains subsided then stuck her head in the room.

"Hey Posen. My wife sent me over to say hi. Make sure you don't have your baby before she does." Aubrey looked equally as exhausted as Chloe but managed a smile. "Conrad, I'm going to stay with your wife a minute. You need to go back to the desk and register since you just badged your way back with me. The staff need to know you are here."

After copious amounts of promises that she'd be right back, Stacie left Beca and her wife alone. Beca reached over to hold Aubrey's hand. "You okay?"

"As okay as I can be trying to push an eight-pound bowling ball out of … this." She motioned to her crotch. "How's Chlo?"

"The same. Thanks for sending Stacie to pick me up at the airport."

"Had I realized I would be going into labor, too, you could have taken the bus for all I care."

Beca chuckled. "Oh Posen, you love me and you know it." Stacie came rushing back into the room with her new hospital bracelet. "Here's your wife; now I need to go back to mine. Love you Bree."

Back in their room, Beca updated Chloe on everything that was happening in the next room. About this time, another wave of contractions hit Chloe. Beca was at a loss as to what to say or do to help, so she went for humor. "I don't know ladybug. It's going to be a footrace this time. I think Aubrey may beat you with those long legs of hers."

This gave Chloe the giggles. "Don't. _Grunt_. Do. _Scream_. That." Chloe clamped down on Beca's hand. She was panting and the laughing was making it hard to catch her breath.

Beca shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just saying." She acted like she was considering something. "Come to think about it – they both have legs for days. I say we don't stand a chance."

* * *

A few hours later when both their wives were exhausted and sleeping, Beca and Stacie were standing in front of the glass window in front of where the babies were housed in tiny bassinets. Beca motioned one of the nurses to the hallway and pointed to the two that belonged to her and her best friend. After a bit of discussion, the nurse went in and moved the small cribs so they were next to each other.

"Two minutes Mitchell. We beat you by two minutes." Stacie was staring at her new daughter. "Aubrey is never going to let you live that down you know."

Beca's eyes were glued on her infant son. "That's okay Conrad. What matters is that we have healthy babies and healthy wives. You have lieutenant bars on your collar. Life is good."

"That's not all Mitchell. Let's not forget the two Grammys in your back pocket. But yes, life is good."

As soon as both new mothers were relatively rested and awake, Beca had arranged for them to be moved to the executive maternity suite. While still only designed for one new mother, this room was more spacious and could easily accommodate both Chloe and Aubrey. The nurses were decisively against this insisting that each mother needed her rest and her own alone time with her child. However, they were powerless against the wiles of Chloe Beale.

* * *

The friends had exchanged a few more gifts at the hospital; mainly because Stacie and Beca couldn't resist buying things. Each mother got a personalized gift basket with diapers, a stuffed teddy bear of a respective color, receiving blanket, spa gift certificates, the works. Beca and Stacie had also each made a coupon book for their wives with redeemable things like footrubs, Mommy's day out, breakfast in bed, etc.

Chloe surprised Beca with a onesie she had made during her wife's last out of town trip. It had a picture of two Grammys and said, "Mommy's first babies, but I'm her favorite." Everyone got a laugh at the perfect book Stacie had picked out for Beca called _Go the Fuck to Sleep_. Aubrey tried to act offended but had heard exactly what their first year of life with a newborn would be like.

"Every parent dreams for their children that they have a life better than their own." Chloe's eyes got that glazed over, dreamy look she often got when contemplating life. "Right now, I feel my life is pretty perfect."

Aubrey chimed in. "At least our children will have the freedom to choose whatever makes them happy – no matter the choice. Police officer." She looked lovingly at Stacie.

"A capella singer." Chloe beamed at Aubrey.

"Teacher." Beca squeezed Chloe's hand.

"Lawyer." Stacie gave Aubrey a kiss.

The blonde smiled at the redhead. "They will have best friends."

Stacie smiled at her best friend. "They can make award winning music."

The shortest person in the room said, "And no matter what our children to do with their lives, we will always and forever accept them for who they are and what they do."

At this point, tears of joy were falling down Chloe's cheeks. "Even if they are a garbage collector."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone who has supported this story by reading, following, reviewing, everything! Even though I felt this was a good place to end this fic, I do have a sequel in the works. It picks up at the end of Chapter 17 and follows the couples for the next 20 years. (Yeah, the last two chapters were written first.) It's going to be pretty domestic. So keep your eyes out for it - _Life's Choices_.**


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